Envolvimento do sistema colinérgico e parâmetros oxidativos na depressão em uma população rural

Abstract

Pesticides are highly neurotoxic and may produce a series of health problems. The aim of this study was to look at correlations between the cholinergic syndrome symptoms and biological markers with depressive episode in a rural population. The study involved 100 workers involved in family agriculture of tobacco from southern Brazil. AChE and BChE activities and serum oxidative stress parameters were evaluated and no association was found between cholinergic syndrome, major depression and biological parameters. Of total sample 18% have psychiatric disorders, time of exposure was 23.4±25.5 years. The time of pesticides exposure was higher in depressive subjects than non-depressed one. Symptoms of cholinergic syndrome for muscarinic effects, nicotinic effects, and central effects were higher in depressive than non-depressed subjects, respectively. Correlation analysis shows that symptoms of cholinergic syndrome affecting central nervous system was positively correlated with BChE activity, and nitric oxide levels only in depressive subjects. In conclusion, although the use of pesticides did not increase the risk for major depressive episode in our sample, depressive subjects had increased disturbances in cholinergic system probably due an increase in the oxidative stress and alterations in cholinergic system arising from the chronic exposure to pesticides.