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Erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase as biomarker of pesticide exposure: new and forgotten insights

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 25, pages 18364–18376 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) acts on the hydrolysis of acetylcholine, rapidly removing this neurotransmitter at cholinergic synapses and neuromuscular junctions as well as in neuronal growth and differentiation, modulation of cell adhesion (“electrotactins”) and aryl-acylamidase activity (AAA). This enzyme is also found in erythrocyte, as 160 kDa dimer that anchors to the plasma membrane via glycophosphatidylinositol. The function of this enzyme in erythrocytes has not yet been elucidated; however, it is suspected to participate in cell-to-cell interactions. Here, a review on erythrocyte AChE characteristics and use as biomarker for organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides is presented since it is the first specific target/barrier of the action of these pesticides, besides plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). However, some past and current methods have disadvantages: (a) not discriminating the activities of AChE and BChE; (b) low accuracy due to interference of hemoglobin in whole blood samples. On the other hand, extraction methods of hemoglobin-free erythrocyte AChE allows: (a) the freezing and transporting of samples; (b) samples free of colorimetric interference; (c) data from only erythrocyte AChE activity; (d) erythrocyte AChE specific activity presents higher correlation with the central nervous system AChE than other peripheral ChEs; (e) slow spontaneous regeneration against anti-ChEs agents of AChE in comparison to BChE, thus increasing the chances of detecting such compounds following longer interval after exposure. As monitoring perspectives, hemoglobin-free methodologies may be promising alternatives to assess the degree of exposure since they are not influenced by this interfering agent.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Joel Sussman and Dr. Israel Silman for kindly allowing the use of Fig. 2. The authors also acknowledge Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia de Pernambuco (FACEPE Grant numbers: IBPG-0523-2.08/11 and BFP-0036-2.08/13) for financial support.

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Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Enzimologia – LABENZ, Departamento de Bioquímica and Laboratório de Imunopatologia Keizo Asami – LIKA, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil

    Caio R. D. Assis, Amanda G. Linhares, Mariana P. Cabrera, Kaline C. C. Silva, Marina Marcuschi, Ranilson S. Bezerra & Luiz B. Carvalho Jr

  2. Laboratório de Tecnologia de Produtos Bioativos, Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, DMFA, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Vagne M. Oliveira

  3. Universidade Estadual da Bahia, Paulo Afonso, Bahia, Brazil

    Kaline C. C. Silva

  4. Laboratório de Glicoproteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Elba V. M. Maciel Carvalho

Authors
  1. Caio R. D. Assis
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  2. Amanda G. Linhares
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  3. Mariana P. Cabrera
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  4. Vagne M. Oliveira
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  5. Kaline C. C. Silva
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  6. Marina Marcuschi
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  7. Elba V. M. Maciel Carvalho
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  8. Ranilson S. Bezerra
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  9. Luiz B. Carvalho Jr
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Caio R. D. Assis.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Responsible editor: Cinta Porte

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Assis, C.R.D., Linhares, A.G., Cabrera, M.P. et al. Erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase as biomarker of pesticide exposure: new and forgotten insights. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 18364–18376 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2303-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2303-9

Keywords

  • Biomarker, acetylcholinesterase
  • Erythrocyte
  • Organophosphorus
  • Carbamates
  • Aryl-acylamidase activity