Pesticides may be altering constitutive nitric oxide release, thereby compromising health

Numerous studies, focusing on the effects of environmental pollutants such as pyrethroids, organochlorines, organophosphate pesticides, etc, appear to affect intracellular ion balance, particularly calcium. We speculate that these chemicals may specifically target constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS)-mediated processes, e.g., immune. The alteration of intracellular Ca2+ transients by these pollutants may represent an important common mechanism responsible for the abrogation of cNOS activation. Moreover, one can hypothesize that exposure to sublethal levels of pesticides that alter calcium transients, could potentially lead to immune, neural and vascular dysfunction in animals. This may be especially true for marine organisms that can be found close to shore and in estuaries, which are more likely to be exposed to these compounds resulting from riverine and other inputs.