Amino acid profile of MCF-10A cells following agrochemical exposure: Metabolomics approach

Agrochemicals are commonly used by farmers for agricultural purposes such as weed control, pest control, and improvement in farm produce. Globally, there are significant health problems associated with the inappropriate handling of agrochemicals. Metabolomics has undergone over 20 years of continuous innovation, it has created the most advanced system for measuring and understanding metabolites which are the end products of environmental and biological interactions. They also serve as biomarkers. Studies from the past decades have proven the important role of amino acids in cancer metabolism in both a tumorigenic and tumor-suppressive way. This experimental study was carried out at Metabolomics unit of The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center Laboratory, USA. We treated the non- malignant breast cell line MCF10A with three (3) commonly used agrochemicals (Atrazine, Chlorpyrifos, and Paraquat dichloride) in Nigeria. Concerntrations that are permitted in drinking water was used during the exposure. The resulting changes in the amino acid were analyzed and reported. Our initial focus was on amino acid measured by ion chromatography-mass spectrometry (IC - MS) using established methodology. The metabolomic patterns indicated that amino acids like methione sulfonie, cysteine, kynurenine, acetylcholine were depleted by all agrochemicals while proline was increased. On the other hand, Chlorpyrifos and paraquat dichloride showed overall similar impact on cell metabolism on day 1, and on day 2 of exposure, but atrazine was different on day 2. Chlorpyrifos day 2 and atrazine day 1 showed the presence of different amino acids there seems to be consensus on “day 2” effect. In this study, amino acids: methione sulfonie, cysteine, kynurenine, acetylcholine was depleted by all agrochemicals. The finding of an increase in the proline amino acid for both chlorpyrifos and paraquat dichloride suggests that these chemicals exert similar actions on cells. This was however different for glutamine amino acid which was increased during atrazine exposure, but decreased during chlorpyrifos and Paraquat exposure. This study therefore suggests that the metabolomic pattern for chlorpyrifos and Paraquat exposure are similar.