Organochlorine and Organophosphate Pesticides Induce Oxidative Stress and DNA–Protein Cross‐Link Formation in Rats

ABSTRACT Organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides are among the most widely used as a group of heterogeneous synthetic chemicals to control pests. The present investigation was conducted to examine the impact of organophosphate (chlorpyrifos and monocrotophos) and organochlorine (endosulfan and lindane) pesticides on the imbalance of glutathione homeostasis, serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and DNA–protein crosslink (DPC) adducts in rats. The outcome of the current investigation shows that the pesticides used in the study lead to a decrease in glutathione (GSH) and an increase in glutathione disulfide (GSSG levels, decreasing the GSH/GSSG ratio, a significant decline in the levels of TAC in rat serum, and a significant increase in the DPC coefficient in the rat's lymphocytes alone or in combination. The present study also provides evidence that the selected pesticides decrease TAC in rat serum; the decline of total thiol groups in serum of rats exposed to pesticides is linked with decreased TAC. DNA adduct formation is one example of DNA–protein cross‐linking produced by oxygen radicals. Thus, it can be confirmed that selected pesticides induce oxidative stress, as evidenced by a decline in GSH/GSSG ratio and TAC in rat tissues. The oxidative stress generated by pesticide exposure caused DNA damage by the formation of a DNA–protein complex. Results obtained clearly showed that pesticides, individually or in mixture, exert their toxic effects by altering the redox status and TAC in tissues. Induction of DPCs in lymphocytes indicates damage to DNA and proteins upon pesticide exposure.