Health risks of neonicotinoids chronic exposure and its association with glucose metabolism: A case-control study in rural China

Lulu Wang; Cuicui Ma; Dandan Wei; Mian Wang; Qingqing Xu; Juan Wang; Yu Song; Wenqian Huo; Tao Jing; Chongjian Wang; Zhenxing Mao

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122213

Health risks of neonicotinoids chronic exposure and its association with glucose metabolism: A case-control study in rural China

Environ Pollut. 2023 Oct 1:334:122213. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122213. Epub 2023 Jul 17.

Authors

Lulu Wang¹, Cuicui Ma¹, Dandan Wei¹, Mian Wang², Qingqing Xu¹, Juan Wang¹, Yu Song², Wenqian Huo², Tao Jing³, Chongjian Wang¹, Zhenxing Mao⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China.
² Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China.
³ School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China. Electronic address: maozhr@gmail.com.

PMID: 37467917
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122213

Abstract

Since neonicotinoids (NNIs) are widely used around the world, they are extensively distributed in the environment and frequently occurred in humans. This study was conducted to assess the risk of NNIs residues in vegetables and fruits in Henan province, and evaluate the associations of NNIs single and mixed exposure with glucose metabolism, and further explore whether testosterone mediated these relationships in Henan rural population. The data of vegetables and fruits were collected from Henan Province in 2020-2021, and participants were drawn from the Henan Rural Cohort study. Hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were used to assess the risk of exposure to the individual and combined NNIs through vegetables or fruits intake. Relative potency factor (RPF) method was utilized to normalize each NNIs to imidacloprid (IMI_RPF). Generalized linear models were used to explore the effects of each NNIs and IMI_RPF on glucose metabolism. Weight quartile sum (WQS) regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model were applied to estimate the effect of NNIs mixtures on glucose metabolism. Mediation analysis was employed to explore whether testosterone mediated these relationships. The HQs and HI in both vegetables and fruits were much lower than 1, which indicated that NNIs in vegetables and fruits were not expected to cause significant adverse effects. However, plasma natural logarithm nitenpyram (Ln_NIT), Ln_thiacloprid-amid (Ln_THD-A), and Ln_IMI_eq were positively associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 1.12 (1.05, 1.19), 1.21 (1.10, 1.32), and 1.48 (1.22, 1.80)). Both WQS regression and BKMR models observed significantly positive associations between NNIs mixture exposure and T2DM. Testosterone partially mediated these associations among women (PE = 6.67%). These findings suggest that human NNIs exposure may impair glucose metabolism and could contribute to rising rates of T2DM, and it's necessary to regulate the use of pesticides in rural areas.

Keywords: A case-control study; Impaired fasting glucose; Plasma neonicotinoids; Testosterone; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

MeSH terms

Bayes Theorem
Case-Control Studies
China / epidemiology
Cohort Studies
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2*
Female
Glucose
Humans
Neonicotinoids
Rural Population
Testosterone

Substances

Neonicotinoids
Testosterone
Glucose