Several clinical and epidemiological studies have reported an association between exposure to pesticides, bronchial hyperreactivity and asthma symptoms. This article reviews the mechanistic evidence lending support to the concept that either acute or chronic low-level inhalation of pesticides may trigger asthma attacks, exacerbate asthma or increase the risk of developing asthma. Pesticide aerosols or gasses, like other respiratory irritants, can lead to asthma through interaction with functional irritant receptors in the airway and promote neurogenic inflammation.
Cross-talk between airway nerves and inflammatory cells helps to maintain chronic inflammation that eventually damages the bronchial epithelium. Certain organophosphorus insecticides cause airway hyperreactivity via a common mechanism of disrupting negative feedback control of cholinergic regulation in the lungs. These…
