Chronic exposure to pyrethroid-based allethrin and prallethrin mosquito repellents alters plasma biochemical profile

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 73; no. 3; pp. 360 - 364
• Main Authors: Narendra, M., Kavitha, G., Helah Kiranmai, A., Raghava Rao, N., Varadacharyulu, N.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Allethrin; Allethrin - toxicity; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Chemical Analysis; blood chemistry; Culicidae; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Exposure; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Glucose; Humans; insect repellents; Insecticides - toxicity; Lipo proteins; long term effects; Nitric oxide; Prallethrin; pyrethrins; Pyrethrins - toxicity; Pyrethroids; toxicity; NO; LDL-C; MR; Lipo proteins; Pyrethroids; LPO; Glucose; IU; HDL-C; NO 3; RBC; Allethrin; Nitric oxide; NO 2; A/G; Prallethrin; VLDL-C; SGPT; w/w; SGOT; Insecta; Parasite; Protein; Blood plasma; Chronic; Arthropoda; Culicidae; Repellent; Ectoparasite; Invertebrata; Diptera
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.05.070

Continuous exposure of humans to pyrethroid-based mosquito repellents for longer durations may lead to adverse health effects. No information is available on long-term use of these mosquito repellents pertaining to the biochemical changes in human subjects. Therefore, the present study is an attempt to evaluate the status of health in human volunteers exposed to two commercially available mosquito repellent pyrethroids, allethrin and prallethrin, in terms of changes in plasma biochemical profile. Results of this study showed less but significant increase in the levels of plasma glucose, phospholipids, nitrite and nitrate, lipidperoxides with a decrease in plasma cholesterol. No significant changes were observed in the contents of total protein, albumin, globulin, HDL-C and LDL-C. However, SGPT activity increased significantly in persons exposed to only allethrin. Though the present investigation involving a limited number of human subjects indicates the onset of both protective changes as well as derangement in metabolism, a detailed and rigorous study is greatly warranted to arrive at a definite conclusion about the effects of pyrethroid mosquito repellents.