O-23 A systematic review of the relationship between Paraquat Dichloride exposure and the development of Parkinson’s disease
Author(s):
B Rennie, M Baptiste, K Mitchell
Year of Presentation:
2025
Objective: (1) To summarize the existing data on the link
between Paraquat Dichloride (PQ) exposure and the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD) based on epidemiological research, and (2) to discuss the mechanistic toxicology
findings from animal studies.
Methods: Two independent reviewers conducted a systematic search for articles that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria during the period 2014 and 2024 using PubMed. A total of 10 articles met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the SYRCLE tool, respectively.
Results: The findings from human studies highlight mixed results. One study found a nonsignificant increase in PD mortality (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.99–1.51); in another, PQ was associated with PD only in workers not using protective gloves (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.3-11.7). PD risk was also found to be higher at locations where agriculture and PQ use were prevalent. Data from animal models delved into the mechanisms by which PQ may induce PD-like symptoms, producing compelling evidence that PQ exposure induces many of the pathological features of PD such as loss of dopaminergic neurons, motor deficits, neuroinflammation, α-synuclein aggregation, and oxidative stress, which supports the association between PQ and PD that is observed in numerous other studies.
Conclusion: This review of human epidemiological studies and animal models, suggest that exposure to PQ is a significant risk factor for PD. The results highlight the urgent need for protective measures to reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease due to pesticide exposure.