Toxic Crossroads: Environmental Pesticides and their Endocrine Footprints in Global Metabolic Health

Endocrine-disrupting pesticides (EDPs) exert deleterious effects on the endocrine system, with documented evidence implicating specific pesticides in endocrine disruption, resulting in developmental delays during puberty and thyroid gland dysfunction, thereby increasing susceptibility to metabolic diseases. The disruption of intracellular insulin signaling, which is characterized by redox imbalance, toxicological effects, and proinflammatory activity, facilitates cellular adaptation to stress. However, this adaptive response can aberrantly induce a dysfunctional feedback loop characterized by diminished cellular insulin responsiveness, a prevalent feature of metabolic disorders. Despite significant advancements in the scientific understanding of EDPs, substantial knowledge gaps and uncertainties persist, impeding progress toward improved health outcomes. This review highlights current findings on the metabolic toxicity of pesticides in the context of obesity and diabetes, concentrating on crucial signaling pathways and a mechanistic perspective that offers insight into resistance channels as reviewed. These findings enhance our understanding of the potential impacts of EDPs on human health.