{"id":7843,"date":"2018-10-05T14:00:24","date_gmt":"2018-10-05T21:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/?p=7843"},"modified":"2019-05-30T18:31:35","modified_gmt":"2019-05-31T01:31:35","slug":"fipronil-insecticide-gaba-glutamate-and-anxiety-aggressive-behavior-memory-and-alzheimers-disease-in-humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/fipronil-insecticide-gaba-glutamate-and-anxiety-aggressive-behavior-memory-and-alzheimers-disease-in-humans\/","title":{"rendered":"Fipronil insecticide: GABA\/glutamate and anxiety, aggressive behavior, memory and Alzheimer\u2019s disease in humans?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The insecticide called fipronil has me concerned because there is increasing evidence that it can be toxic to humans and, much to my surprise, I\u2019ve just discovered that the main mechanism of action is by targeting the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor<\/a>\u00a0and recent research points to increased anxiety, aggressive behavior, memory problems and even Alzheimer\u2019s disease in animal studies.<\/p>\n

Based on a rather surprising conversation I had with someone a few weeks ago (let\u2019s call her Sue), I felt compelled to get more information on fipronil. Before that I was not aware about the specific effects I mention above.<\/p>\n

We were in Sue\u2019s front yard and the dog kept sniffing these small white plastic squares in the flower beds. Sue kept pulling the dog away and I asked \u201cwhy? what are those?\u201d It turns out they were ant-bait devices. Yes, I\u2019m this clueless simply because I\u2019ve never purchased anything like this. I expressed my concerns about toxicity and possible endocrine\/hormone effects but didn\u2019t have enough concrete facts, so I went digging through the research. Needless to say I am very concerned with what I found.<\/p>\n

What was equally concerning is that Sue had not even considered that it could be harmful. Looking into possible harms was not even on her radar. When pressed, Sue said \u201cit\u2019s only a small amount in each container so I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll be fine\u201d and \u201cthe poison is inside the container so none of it will come out – so it\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is what went through my mind (which is pretty typical for me \u2013 I\u2019m always in questioning mode): What is it and how toxic is it? Does it have impacts on humans and by what mechanism? Could it cause anxiety or increase existing anxiety symptoms? Are there additional concerns about it being in a flower-bed near the front door where you could possibly walk some into the house or breathe it in as you come and go?<\/p>\n

Organophosphates and psychological effects<\/h2>\n

Organophosphates are a commonly used pesticide used on fruits and vegetables and research going as far back as 1994 reports that acute exposure can cause psychological effects<\/a> because they<\/p>\n

act directly on the nervous system by inhibiting the neurotransmitter acetylcholine \u2026 [contributing to] \u2026 acute psychological and behavioral effects, such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairments. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The researchers also suggest that long-term psychological effects of low-level exposure have not been determined satisfactorily.<\/p>\n

We hear less about insecticides such as fipronil<\/h2>\n

We hear less about insecticides such as fipronil and how they work.<\/p>\n

According to the National Pesticide Information Center Fipronil is a broad use insecticide<\/a>\u00a0that<\/p>\n

belongs to the phenylpyrazole chemical family. Fipronil is used to control ants, beetles, cockroaches, fleas, ticks, termites, mole crickets, thrips, rootworms, weevils, and other insects.<\/p>\n

Fipronil is used in a wide variety of pesticide products, including granular products for grass, gel baits, spot-on pet care products, liquid termite control products, and products for agriculture.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It can be found in ant-bait and anti-cockroach products as well as Frontline Plus (tick and flea protection) for cats and dogs. You can find a partial list of products here<\/a>\u00a0and a fact sheet here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

GABA & glutamate: anxiety, aggressive behavior and neurotoxic effects<\/h2>\n

Fipronil works to kill insects via the inhibition of glutamate- and GABA-activated chloride channels<\/a>\u00a0resulting in uncontrolled neural excitation. It also blocks GABAA receptor function and is typically considered toxic to insects but not humans.<\/p>\n

As soon as I read the GABA-glutamate mechanism I started searching for anxiety and neurotoxic connections.<\/p>\n

There are no human studies on increased anxiety due to fipronil exposure but research on zebrafish larvae exposed to fipronil at typical environmental levels, finds anxiety-like behavior.\u00a0\u00a0 In the paper, A metabolomic study of fipronil for the anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish larvae at environmentally relevant levels<\/a>, the authors report decreased levels of glycine and serine with higher levels of glutamate saying fipronil may be a potential neurotransmitter disruptor. Here are some of the possible mechanisms they discuss related to this:<\/p>\n