AbstractsMedical & Health Science

Organophosphates (OPs) are organic esters of phosphorous-based acid derivatives, used extensively as pesticides. Chronic exposures of OPs can deteriorate our nervous system via inhibition of acetyl cholinesterase, located between gap-junctions of neurons. Adverse effects are only expressed when OPs are accumulated to a level that exceeds certain threshold limit. Also, such a threshold limit differs from one individual to another. This suggests that occurrence of neurological disorders may be the result of interactions between organophosphate exposure and increased susceptibility due to polymorphisms in pesticide metabolizing enzymes. Thus, we propose to identify functional polymorphisms in crucial pesticide-metabolizing enzymes that could contribute to high bioaccumulation of organophosphates and increased susceptibility to organophosphate induced toxicity. The following are our research aims: - Recruit farmers and control population - Identify polymorphisms of possible OP metabolizing enzymes - Measure OP metabolite levels - Perform data analysis to study the effect of polymorphisms on urine metabolites