FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Arch Environ Contam Toxicol / Time- and dose-dependent effects of roundup on human embryon...
Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology2007; 53(1); 126-133; doi: 10.1007/s00244-006-0154-8

Time- and dose-dependent effects of roundup on human embryonic and placental cells.

Abstract: Roundup is the major herbicide used worldwide, in particular on genetically modified plants that have been designed to tolerate it. We have tested the toxicity and endocrine disruption potential of Roundup (Bioforce on human embryonic 293 and placental-derived JEG3 cells, but also on normal human placenta and equine testis. The cell lines have proven to be suitable to estimate hormonal activity and toxicity of pollutants. The median lethal dose (LD(50)) of Roundup with embryonic cells is 0.3% within 1 h in serum-free medium, and it decreases to reach 0.06% (containing among other compounds 1.27 mM glyphosate) after 72 h in the presence of serum. In these conditions, the embryonic cells appear to be 2-4 times more sensitive than the placental ones. In all instances, Roundup (generally used in agriculture at 1-2%, i.e., with 21-42 mM glyphosate) is more efficient than its active ingredient, glyphosate, suggesting a synergistic effect provoked by the adjuvants present in Roundup. We demonstrated that serum-free cultures, even on a short-term basis (1 h), reveal the xenobiotic impacts that are visible 1-2 days later in serum. We also document at lower non-overtly toxic doses, from 0.01% (with 210 microM glyphosate) in 24 h, that Roundup is an aromatase disruptor. The direct inhibition is temperature-dependent and is confirmed in different tissues and species (cell lines from placenta or embryonic kidney, equine testicular, or human fresh placental extracts). Furthermore, glyphosate acts directly as a partial inactivator on microsomal aromatase, independently of its acidity, and in a dose-dependent manner. The cytotoxic, and potentially endocrine-disrupting effects of Roundup are thus amplified with time. Taken together, these data suggest that Roundup exposure may affect human reproduction and fetal development in case of contamination. Chemical mixtures in formulations appear to be underestimated regarding their toxic or hormonal impact.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2007-05-04 PubMed ID: 17486286DOI: 10.1007/s00244-006-0154-8Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The article explores the effect of Roundup, a globally-used herbicide, on human embryonic and placental cells. The results indicate negative impacts of the herbicide, with the potential to disrupt endocrine functions and affect human reproduction and fetal development.

Methodology

  • The researchers tested the toxicity and endocrine disruption potential of Roundup on human embryonic 293 and placental-derived JEG3 cells. They also extended their experiments on normal human placenta and equine testis.
  • The cell lines were used to estimate the hormonal activity and toxicity of the herbicide.
  • They calculated the median lethal dose (LD(50)) of Roundup with embryonic cells under varied conditions.

Key Findings

  • The researchers found that the LD(50) of Roundup with embryonic cells is 0.3% within 1 hour in serum-free medium, reducing to 0.06% after 72 hours in the presence of serum.
  • Embryonic cells were observed to be 2-4 times more sensitive to Roundup compared to placental ones.
  • Roundup was found to be more efficient than its active ingredient, glyphosate. This suggests a possible synergistic effect provoked by the additional components present in Roundup.

Implications of the Findings

  • The study suggests that Roundup, even in lower doses, is an aromatase disruptor. Aromatase inhibitors are known to impact hormone regulation.
  • They confirmed the direct inhibition by glyphosate on microsomal aromatase is temperature-dependent and dose-relative, and is seen across different tissues and species.
  • The cytotoxic and potentially endocrine-disrupting effects of Roundup are amplified with time. These results imply that exposure to Roundup may negatively affect human reproduction and fetal development if contamination occurs.
  • The study raises concerns about chemical mixtures in formulations like Roundup, suggesting they may pose underestimated risks regarding their toxic or hormonal impact.

Cite This Article

APA
Benachour N, Sipahutar H, Moslemi S, Gasnier C, Travert C, Séralini GE. (2007). Time- and dose-dependent effects of roundup on human embryonic and placental cells. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol, 53(1), 126-133. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-006-0154-8

Publication

Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology
ISSN: 0090-4341
NlmUniqueID: 0357245
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 53
Issue: 1
Pages: 126-133

Researcher Affiliations

Benachour, N
  • Laboratoire Estrogénes et Reproduction, USC-INRA, IBFA, Université de Caen, Caen, France.
Sipahutar, H
    Moslemi, S
      Gasnier, C
        Travert, C
          Séralini, G E

            MeSH Terms

            • Animals
            • Aromatase / metabolism
            • Aromatase Inhibitors / toxicity
            • Cell Line
            • Cell Line, Tumor
            • Cell Survival / drug effects
            • Glycine / analogs & derivatives
            • Glycine / toxicity
            • Horses
            • Humans
            • Kidney / embryology
            • Kidney / enzymology
            • Male
            • Microsomes / enzymology
            • Oxidoreductases / metabolism
            • Placenta / enzymology
            • Testis / enzymology
            • Time Factors

            Citations

            This article has been cited 38 times.
            1. Hyland C, Spivak M, Sheppard L, Lanphear BP, Antoniou M, Ospina M, Calafat AM, Curl CL. Urinary Glyphosate Concentrations among Pregnant Participants in a Randomized, Crossover Trial of Organic and Conventional Diets.. Environ Health Perspect 2023 Jul;131(7):77005.
              doi: 10.1289/EHP12155pubmed: 37493357google scholar: lookup
            2. Varde M, Gerona RR, Newman RB, Reckers A, Braak DC, Vena JE, Bloom MS. Glyphosate exposure and preterm birth: A nested case-control pilot study.. Reprod Toxicol 2023 Apr;117:108350.
              doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108350pubmed: 36803739google scholar: lookup
            3. Jozkowiak M, Piotrowska-Kempisty H, Kobylarek D, Gorska N, Mozdziak P, Kempisty B, Rachon D, Spaczynski RZ. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: The Relevant Role of the Theca and Granulosa Cells in the Pathogenesis of the Ovarian Dysfunction.. Cells 2022 Dec 31;12(1).
              doi: 10.3390/cells12010174pubmed: 36611967google scholar: lookup
            4. Dal' Bó IF, Teixeira ES, Rabi LT, Peres KC, Nascimento M, Chiamolera MI, Máximo V, Bufalo NE, Ward LS. Alternation between toxic and proliferative effects of Roundup® on human thyroid cells at different concentrations.. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022;13:904437.
              doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.904437pubmed: 35992109google scholar: lookup
            5. Torres-Badia M, Solar-Malaga S, Serrano R, Garcia-Marin LJ, Bragado MJ. The adverse impact of herbicide Roundup Ultra Plus in human spermatozoa plasma membrane is caused by its surfactant.. Sci Rep 2022 Jul 29;12(1):13082.
              doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-17023-3pubmed: 35906274google scholar: lookup
            6. Oláh M, Farkas E, Székács I, Horvath R, Székács A. Cytotoxic effects of Roundup Classic and its components on NE-4C and MC3T3-E1 cell lines determined by biochemical and flow cytometric assays.. Toxicol Rep 2022;9:914-926.
              doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.04.014pubmed: 35875257google scholar: lookup
            7. Serra L, Estienne A, Vasseur C, Froment P, Dupont J. Review: Mechanisms of Glyphosate and Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Action in Female and Male Fertility in Humans and Animal Models.. Cells 2021 Nov 8;10(11).
              doi: 10.3390/cells10113079pubmed: 34831302google scholar: lookup
            8. Milesi MM, Lorenz V, Durando M, Rossetti MF, Varayoud J. Glyphosate Herbicide: Reproductive Outcomes and Multigenerational Effects.. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021;12:672532.
              doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.672532pubmed: 34305812google scholar: lookup
            9. Silver MK, Fernandez J, Tang J, McDade A, Sabino J, Rosario Z, Vélez Vega C, Alshawabkeh A, Cordero JF, Meeker JD. Prenatal Exposure to Glyphosate and Its Environmental Degradate, Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA), and Preterm Birth: A Nested Case-Control Study in the PROTECT Cohort (Puerto Rico).. Environ Health Perspect 2021 May;129(5):57011.
              doi: 10.1289/EHP7295pubmed: 34009015google scholar: lookup
            10. Lesseur C, Pirrotte P, Pathak KV, Manservisi F, Mandrioli D, Belpoggi F, Panzacchi S, Li Q, Barrett ES, Nguyen RHN, Sathyanarayana S, Swan SH, Chen J. Maternal urinary levels of glyphosate during pregnancy and anogenital distance in newborns in a US multicenter pregnancy cohort.. Environ Pollut 2021 Jul 1;280:117002.
              doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117002pubmed: 33812205google scholar: lookup
            11. Abdel-Halim KY, Osman SR. Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Stress Responses of Imidacloprid and Glyphosate in Human Prostate Epithelial WPM-Y.1 Cell Line.. J Toxicol 2020;2020:4364650.
              doi: 10.1155/2020/4364650pubmed: 33456462google scholar: lookup
            12. Zhang C, Schilirò T, Gea M, Bianchi S, Spinello A, Magistrato A, Gilardi G, Di Nardo G. Molecular Basis for Endocrine Disruption by Pesticides Targeting Aromatase and Estrogen Receptor.. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020 Aug 5;17(16).
              doi: 10.3390/ijerph17165664pubmed: 32764486google scholar: lookup
            13. Jarrell ZR, Ahammad MU, Benson AP. Glyphosate-based herbicide formulations and reproductive toxicity in animals.. Vet Anim Sci 2020 Dec;10:100126.
              doi: 10.1016/j.vas.2020.100126pubmed: 32734026google scholar: lookup
            14. Nerozzi C, Recuero S, Galeati G, Bucci D, Spinaci M, Yeste M. Effects of Roundup and its main component, glyphosate, upon mammalian sperm function and survival.. Sci Rep 2020 Jul 3;10(1):11026.
              doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-67538-wpubmed: 32620848google scholar: lookup
            15. Ganesan S, McGuire BC, Keating AF. Absence of glyphosate-induced effects on ovarian folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis.. Reprod Toxicol 2020 Sep;96:156-164.
              doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.06.011pubmed: 32592754google scholar: lookup
            16. Stur E, Aristizabal-Pachon AF, Peronni KC, Agostini LP, Waigel S, Chariker J, Miller DM, Thomas SD, Rezzoug F, Detogni RS, Reis RSD, Silva Junior WA, Louro ID. Glyphosate-based herbicides at low doses affect canonical pathways in estrogen positive and negative breast cancer cell lines.. PLoS One 2019;14(7):e0219610.
              doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219610pubmed: 31295307google scholar: lookup
            17. De Almeida LKS, Pletschke BI, Frost CL. Moderate levels of glyphosate and its formulations vary in their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in a whole blood model and in human cell lines with different estrogen receptor status.. 3 Biotech 2018 Oct;8(10):438.
              doi: 10.1007/s13205-018-1464-zpubmed: 30306007google scholar: lookup
            18. Li MH, Xu HD, Liu Y, Chen T, Jiang L, Fu YH, Wang JS. Multi-tissue metabolic responses of goldfish (Carassius auratus) exposed to glyphosate-based herbicide.. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2016 Jul 1;5(4):1039-1052.
              doi: 10.1039/c6tx00011hpubmed: 30090411google scholar: lookup
            19. Parvez S, Gerona RR, Proctor C, Friesen M, Ashby JL, Reiter JL, Lui Z, Winchester PD. Glyphosate exposure in pregnancy and shortened gestational length: a prospective Indiana birth cohort study.. Environ Health 2018 Mar 9;17(1):23.
              doi: 10.1186/s12940-018-0367-0pubmed: 29519238google scholar: lookup
            20. Defarge N, Spiroux de Vendômois J, Séralini GE. Toxicity of formulants and heavy metals in glyphosate-based herbicides and other pesticides.. Toxicol Rep 2018;5:156-163.
              doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2017.12.025pubmed: 29321978google scholar: lookup
            21. Kašuba V, Milić M, Rozgaj R, Kopjar N, Mladinić M, Žunec S, Vrdoljak AL, Pavičić I, Čermak AMM, Pizent A, Lovaković BT, Želježić D. Effects of low doses of glyphosate on DNA damage, cell proliferation and oxidative stress in the HepG2 cell line.. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2017 Aug;24(23):19267-19281.
              doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-9438-ypubmed: 28667585google scholar: lookup
            22. Séralini GE, Clair E, Mesnage R, Gress S, Defarge N, Malatesta M, Hennequin D, de Vendômois JS. Republished study: long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize.. Environ Sci Eur 2014;26(1):14.
              doi: 10.1186/s12302-014-0014-5pubmed: 27752412google scholar: lookup
            23. Zhang C, Hu R, Huang J, Huang X, Shi G, Li Y, Yin Y, Chen Z. Health effect of agricultural pesticide use in China: implications for the development of GM crops.. Sci Rep 2016 Oct 10;6:34918.
              doi: 10.1038/srep34918pubmed: 27721390google scholar: lookup
            24. Hoo JY, Kumari Y, Shaikh MF, Hue SM, Goh BH. Zebrafish: A Versatile Animal Model for Fertility Research.. Biomed Res Int 2016;2016:9732780.
              doi: 10.1155/2016/9732780pubmed: 27556045google scholar: lookup
            25. Ueker ME, Silva VM, Moi GP, Pignati WA, Mattos IE, Silva AMC. Parenteral exposure to pesticides and occurence of congenital malformations: hospital-based case-control study.. BMC Pediatr 2016 Aug 12;16(1):125.
              doi: 10.1186/s12887-016-0667-xpubmed: 27520287google scholar: lookup
            26. Defarge N, Takács E, Lozano VL, Mesnage R, Spiroux de Vendômois J, Séralini GE, Székács A. Co-Formulants in Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Disrupt Aromatase Activity in Human Cells below Toxic Levels.. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2016 Feb 26;13(3).
              doi: 10.3390/ijerph13030264pubmed: 26927151google scholar: lookup
            27. Ackermann W, Coenen M, Schrödl W, Shehata AA, Krüger M. The influence of glyphosate on the microbiota and production of botulinum neurotoxin during ruminal fermentation.. Curr Microbiol 2015 Mar;70(3):374-82.
              doi: 10.1007/s00284-014-0732-3pubmed: 25407376google scholar: lookup
            28. Kumar S, Khodoun M, Kettleson EM, McKnight C, Reponen T, Grinshpun SA, Adhikari A. Glyphosate-rich air samples induce IL-33, TSLP and generate IL-13 dependent airway inflammation.. Toxicology 2014 Nov 5;325:42-51.
              doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2014.08.008pubmed: 25172162google scholar: lookup
            29. Mesnage R, Defarge N, Spiroux de Vendômois J, Séralini GE. Major pesticides are more toxic to human cells than their declared active principles.. Biomed Res Int 2014;2014:179691.
              doi: 10.1155/2014/179691pubmed: 24719846google scholar: lookup
            30. Jayasumana C, Gunatilake S, Senanayake P. Glyphosate, hard water and nephrotoxic metals: are they the culprits behind the epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Sri Lanka?. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2014 Feb 20;11(2):2125-47.
              doi: 10.3390/ijerph110202125pubmed: 24562182google scholar: lookup
            31. Cuhra M, Traavik T, Bøhn T. Clone- and age-dependent toxicity of a glyphosate commercial formulation and its active ingredient in Daphnia magna.. Ecotoxicology 2013 Mar;22(2):251-62.
              doi: 10.1007/s10646-012-1021-1pubmed: 23224423google scholar: lookup
            32. Shehata AA, Schrödl W, Aldin AA, Hafez HM, Krüger M. The effect of glyphosate on potential pathogens and beneficial members of poultry microbiota in vitro.. Curr Microbiol 2013 Apr;66(4):350-8.
              doi: 10.1007/s00284-012-0277-2pubmed: 23224412google scholar: lookup
            33. Clair E, Linn L, Travert C, Amiel C, Séralini GE, Panoff JM. Effects of Roundup(®) and glyphosate on three food microorganisms: Geotrichum candidum, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.. Curr Microbiol 2012 May;64(5):486-91.
              doi: 10.1007/s00284-012-0098-3pubmed: 22362186google scholar: lookup
            34. Gasnier C, Laurant C, Decroix-Laporte C, Mesnage R, Clair E, Travert C, Séralini GE. Defined plant extracts can protect human cells against combined xenobiotic effects.. J Occup Med Toxicol 2011 Jan 20;6(1):3.
              doi: 10.1186/1745-6673-6-3pubmed: 21251308google scholar: lookup
            35. Gasnier C, Benachour N, Clair E, Travert C, Langlois F, Laurant C, Decroix-Laporte C, Séralini GE. Dig1 protects against cell death provoked by glyphosate-based herbicides in human liver cell lines.. J Occup Med Toxicol 2010 Oct 27;5:29.
              doi: 10.1186/1745-6673-5-29pubmed: 20979644google scholar: lookup
            36. de Vendômois JS, Roullier F, Cellier D, Séralini GE. A comparison of the effects of three GM corn varieties on mammalian health.. Int J Biol Sci 2009 Dec 10;5(7):706-26.
              doi: 10.7150/ijbs.5.706pubmed: 20011136google scholar: lookup
            37. Séralini GE, de Vendômois JS, Cellier D, Sultan C, Buiatti M, Gallagher L, Antoniou M, Dronamraju KR. How subchronic and chronic health effects can be neglected for GMOs, pesticides or chemicals.. Int J Biol Sci 2009 Jun 17;5(5):438-43.
              doi: 10.7150/ijbs.5.438pubmed: 19584953google scholar: lookup
            38. Battaglin WA, Rice KC, Focazio MJ, Salmons S, Barry RX. The occurrence of glyphosate, atrazine, and other pesticides in vernal pools and adjacent streams in Washington, DC, Maryland, Iowa, and Wyoming, 2005-2006.. Environ Monit Assess 2009 Aug;155(1-4):281-307.
              doi: 10.1007/s10661-008-0435-ypubmed: 18677547google scholar: lookup
            Subscribe to our newsletter
            Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.