Endocrinology & Metabolic Syndrome
Open Access

Abstract

Oxidative Stress and Carcinogenic Effect of Formaldehyde Exposure: Systematic Review & Analysis

Solomon Tesfaye*, Niguse Hamba, Asfaw Gerbi and Zenebe Negeri

Background: Evaporation of formaldehyde from embalmed cadavers cause terrific systemic hazards, from which the most frequently reported, is respiratory and testicular symptoms. Day-dependent exposure to formaldehyde can cause contact dermatitis, congenital defects like low birth weight and isolated heart disease, cytotoxicity in the respiratory tract in the form of acute lung injury, nasal obstruction, pulmonary edema, and cancer. The histopathologic and morphometric alterations in testis have a strong link with exposure duration periods and highly linked to decrease the function of both sertoli and leydig cells. Several findings ensured such exposure significantly causes and triggers tremendous health effects, but a conclusive review of findings and recommendations related to its oxidative stress and carcinogenic potential on multiple study subjects on the respiratory system and testis are lacking. This study is initiated to shade light on the risk of exposed individuals, warrant caution to those individuals and provide protective measurements in the dissection room.

Methods: We performed a systematic review using databases of Google Scholar, PubMed Central, Scopus, Medline Cochrane, and Web of Science. The search yielded 66 scientific articles out of which 26 were included in the discussion of the oxidative stress and carcinogenic effect of formaldehyde exposure on the respiratory system and testis.

Results: The review of the animal and human findings has shown significant oxidative stress and carcinogenic potential of formaldehyde exposure and anti-inflammatory responses of some novel agents. The effects of formaldehyde exposure depend on the lining tissue type, formalin concentration in embalming fluids, length of exposure, ways of exposure, animal type, sexual category, and a mixture of other aldehydes.

Conclusion: Formaldehyde causes dose-dependent oxidative stress, which is generally known to be detrimental to respiratory and testicular tissues. Formaldehyde has day-dependent carcinogenic effect in the upper respiratory tract. The possible negative manifestation of oxidative stress is due to the altered levels of trace elements in formalin treated testicular tissues and the most viable consequence of formaldehyde in testis tissue architecture is due to its potential to stimulate the reactivity of trace elements. From the review, it was concluded that females as the most sensitive, 20 minutes as the least exposure duration and 0.08 milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) as the least toxic dose of formaldehyde exposure. Regardless of the high potential of formaldehyde related tissue lesion, the reversible effects of some novel agents such as vitamin E, fish omega-3, melatonin, rose oils, flavonoids, polyphenols, Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester/CAPE, garlic aqueous extract were observed in reversing of the destructive property of formaldehyde. Despite complete prevention is not possible, exposed personnel should be cautious of the deleterious effects associated with occupationally exposed formaldehyde vapor.

Published Date: 2020-09-30; Received Date: 2020-09-07