A new study published Wednesday in the journal Epigenetics has found that constant exposure to glyphosate, a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant, makes genetic changes to rats that could help predict diseases in their grandchildren or great-grandchildren.
Researchers of Washington State University said the findings provide evidence that glyphosate-induced changes to sperm could be used as a potential biomarker for determining prostate issues, kidney diseases, obesity, and other diseases at once in the next generations.
They found that the time third- and fourth-generation rats “whose predecessors had been exposed to the chemical were middle-aged, 90% had one or more of these health problems, a dramatically higher rate than the control group,” according to Medical Xpress.
The study tested generational groups of nearly 50 rats. The findings provide a proof of concept that could lead to a new medical diagnostic tool, said Michael Skinner, the corresponding author.
He said, “While we can’t fix what’s wrong in the individual who is exposed, we can potentially use this to diagnose if someone has a higher chance of getting kidney or prostate disease later in life, and then prescribe a therapeutic or lifestyle change to help mitigate or prevent the disease.”
Glyphosate is one of the widely used herbicides in agriculture so it is common in the human food supply.
Previous studies have shown that glyphosate has limited toxicological effects on the body – thanks to its short half-life and its rapid elimination.
However, Skinner’s research has provided evidence that health effects from glyphosate can be inherited by subsequent generations.
In the current study, the researchers took those findings and identified genetic changes in the rats’ sperm caused by the chemical.
“We need to change how we think about toxicology,” Skinner said. “Today worldwide, we only assess direct exposure toxicology; we don’t consider subsequent generational toxicity. We do have some responsibility to our future generations.”
The study currently focuses on sperm, but the team anticipates the same ability to find biomarkers in the female eggs. However, the team said that additional research is needed.
Their goal is to develop diagnostic tests for humans, “but replicating the studies in humans will be challenging simply because glyphosate is so ubiquitous in our diet,” Skinner said. “Right now, it’s very difficult to find a population that is not exposed to glyphosate to have a control group for comparison,” he added.
