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Depending on where you live, you probably don't need much insectifuge Right now, with a cold weather which was currently raising its ugly head. But when the warmer temperatures end up coming back, it is time to fill up with insectifuge to keep mosquitoes and other pests from a distance. Before buying your favorite brand this year, you may want to reconsider the type you buy. Researchers from the Harvard Medical School (HMS) have recently found that the most common insect ingredient, N, N-Dietthyl-Méta-Toluamide-known as Deet-could cause reproductive problems, In particular infertility and congenital malformations.

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The study was carried out in verses (called C. Elegans ), which are useful subjects when researchers want to understand how toxins can affect human reproduction , according to Hmhnews.

Products containing deet Come in the form of liquid, lotion and spraying, and the chemical is also used in treated materials, author of the senior study Monica Colaiácovo , professor of genetics at the Harvard Medical School, said Nowsweek . Although the main route of the deet enters our body is by the skin - generally where it is applied - the chemical can also enter by inhalation or if you drink water contaminated by the deet.

"It is estimated that an average of 1,800 tonnes of Deet is used each year in the United States and that around a third of the American population uses insective repulsive products containing deet each year," said Colaiácovo. There have been studies on the neurological effects of the chemical, said Colaiácovo to Hmhnews, but his team examined how it could have an impact on reproduction.

To do this, HMS researchers examined how several chemicals affected meiosis, the type of cell division that creates eggs and sperm, in worms. Deet was one of the "upper shots" when the chromosomes did not separate as they were supposed to do, and the eggs found themselves with an abnormal number.

This change has occurred because the Deet had an impact on the expression of the genes, or the active or inactive genes in a cell, explained Colaiácovo, and led to the egg cells and the verse embryos "less healthy ".

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"In humans, [meiosis errors] can cause miscarriage, mortinity, infertility and genetic conditions such as Down syndrome," Colaiácovo told Hmhnews. “We knew that we had to examine this carefully. Research has shown that Deet products can have neurological effects on the people who use them, but no one had really looked at what the Deet was doing in meiosis. We wanted to understand if it would cause a problem. Only a few human studies have been carried out, and practically everyone uses the Deet, so the possibility that this could affect reproduction was palpable for the people of our laboratory. ""

When asked what this study was applicable to humans, Calaiácovo said it was "always the big question". She pointed out that these lines have been used in the past to study environmental toxins, and have several equivalents of human genes. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

The changes observed in meiosis also occurred when the verses had the same deet or lower levels as what is in the samples of blood and human urine.

However, worms were exposed to the DEET for 24 hours at a time, and these conditions may not apply to anyone or simply groups like agricultural workers, said Colaiácovo. In addition, there are also "physiological and metabolic" differences between worms and humans, and additional studies are necessary.

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Data , which was published on January 4 in iscience , highlights the need to balance the potential DEET damage in people, namely infertility, miscarriage and congenital malformations, with the need to protect us from diseases transmitted by insects (malaria, Lyme disease , Western Nile virus and Zika virus disease).

"My family is from South America, where Zika and Dengue, for example, are common, and I want to make sure that people are not afraid to be careful," Colaiácovo told Hmhnews. "The so -called tropical diseases transmitted by insects move in new regions of the world as the climate is changing, putting more and more people in danger. The consequences of stopping the use of insectules can be very serious . "

She noted that the DEET is "a very effective option" for disease prevention at the moment, while stressing that people should be aware of the risk of reproduction and follow the instructions for application.

If you are looking for a deet alternative, Colaiácovo said Nowsweek That there are others available, including synthetic and naturally derived repellents, although the data on their security is limited. Natural choice , like lemongrass, lemongrass oil and peppermint oil, is another choice, but they are also "less reliable," said Colaiácovo.

Although you may want to think about how you use the Deet or other insect repellents in general, it is much more important if you are pregnant.

"Our work suggests that this is very important for pregnant women because the meiosis of women begins in the development fetus in the uterus," said Colaiácovo. "I would like to see the search for information on best practices to apply Deet products during pregnancy, when there is often so much confusion and anxiety about what to do. and efficient. It would be great to have an effective insectifuge that does not make us worry about our health or that of our children. ""

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