Pregnancy depends on a healthy placenta, but how environmental chemicals affect placental development is still poorly understood. Growing evidence suggests that exposure to common pesticides may increase the risk of pregnancy complications. In our new study examining pregnancy risks from pesticides, one pesticide stood out: naled.
You might not have heard of naled – an organophosphate pesticide used in the United States and around the world for mosquito control and agriculture. Naled ranked among the most toxic chemicals in our study and had stronger effects on placental cells than other well-known organophosphate pesticides, such as chlorpyrifos and malathion.
Our research group investigates the idea that certain pesticides may interfere with how the placenta forms and functions, processes that are essential for supporting a healthy pregnancy.
The placenta plays several critical roles, including embryo implantation, serving as a protective barrier, and supporting blood flow between the mother and fetus. Disruption of these functions can lead to pregnancy loss and contribute to disorders such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and fetal growth restriction.
Despite ongoing debate about their safety, pesticides remain widely used in agriculture and vector control in the United States and globally. Some of these chemicals are of particular concern for people during pregnancy.
Naled Induces Cellular Stress and Impairs Placental Cell Function
In our study, published in Toxicological Sciences, we explored how commonly used pesticides affect human placental cells known as cytotrophoblasts—cells that play an essential role in placental development and function. We found that several pesticides reduced the survival and normal function of these cells.
Naled led the pack. And, importantly, naled altered gene expression in pathways related to cellular stress and normal placental cell function at concentrations that reflect potential human exposure. These findings suggest possible mechanisms through which this chemical may disrupt placental health and contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Authors: Lin Li, Hao Chen, Unurzul Jigmeddagva, Ngantu Le, Mirhan Kapidzic, Stephanie Gee, Alizah Ali, Justine Levan, Romane Person, Jessica Chen, Amanda M Gutierrez, Chinomnso N Okorie, Mengjing Wang, Tracey J Woodruff, Susan J Fisher, Stephanie L Gaw, and Joshua F Robinson
About the author
Lin Li, MD, PhD has been a Postdoctoral Fellow at the UCSF Robinson Lab since 2022, working on the impact of environmental chemical exposures on human pregnancy and embryo development. She received her MD and PhD in maternal-fetal medicine from Sun Yat-sen University in China.
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