Effects of Sub-Chronic Exposure to Imidacloprid on Reproductive Organs of Adult Male Rats: Antioxidant State, DNA Damage, and Levels of Essential Elements
Although considered a good alternative to organophosphate pesticides, there are reports indicating adverse effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on reproduction. Our aim was to assess the effects of exposure to low doses of imidacloprid on antioxidant state, DNA damage, and concentration of essentia...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Antioxidants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/12/1965 |
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| author | Blanka Tariba Lovaković Vilena Kašuba Ankica Sekovanić Tatjana Orct Antonija Jančec Alica Pizent |
| author_facet | Blanka Tariba Lovaković Vilena Kašuba Ankica Sekovanić Tatjana Orct Antonija Jančec Alica Pizent |
| author_sort | Blanka Tariba Lovaković |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although considered a good alternative to organophosphate pesticides, there are reports indicating adverse effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on reproduction. Our aim was to assess the effects of exposure to low doses of imidacloprid on antioxidant state, DNA damage, and concentration of essential elements in the testes and epididymis using a rat model. Adult male Wistar rats were orally treated with doses comparable to currently proposed health-based reference values: 0.06 (ADI), 0.80 (10× AOEL), or 2.25 (1/200 LD<sub>50</sub>) mg/kg b.w./day for 28 consecutive days. Exposure to 2.25 mg/kg b.w./day of imidacloprid resulted in a significantly lower testis weight (1.30 ± 0.17 g compared to 1.63 ± 0.15 g in controls). Treatment with 0.06 mg/kg b.w./day increased the level of reduced glutathione in the epididymis (73%), while the activities of epididymal glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase significantly increased in all treated rats (74–92% and 26–39%, respectively). Exposure to imidacloprid resulted in a low, but significant, level of DNA damage in testicular sperm cells regardless of the concentration applied (<28% compared to the negative control). Higher concentrations of Mo were measured in the testes of rats treated with 0.80 and 2.25 mg/kg b.w./day (72.9 ± 7.9 and 73.9 ± 9.1 mg/g, respectively) compared to the control animals (60.5 ± 7.8 mg/g). Higher concentrations of Na were measured in the testes of rats treated with 2.25 mg/kg b.w./day (1679 ± 82 mg/g compared to 1562 ± 56 mg/g in controls). The fact that such low doses of imidacloprid were able to produce measurable biological effects calls for the further evaluation of this widely used insecticide. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b054326f121542768db44997874eb8fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3921 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:38:52Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antioxidants |
| spelling | doaj.art-b054326f121542768db44997874eb8fc2023-11-23T03:33:37ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212021-12-011012196510.3390/antiox10121965Effects of Sub-Chronic Exposure to Imidacloprid on Reproductive Organs of Adult Male Rats: Antioxidant State, DNA Damage, and Levels of Essential ElementsBlanka Tariba Lovaković0Vilena Kašuba1Ankica Sekovanić2Tatjana Orct3Antonija Jančec4Alica Pizent5Analytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaMutagenesis Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaAnalytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaAnalytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaAnalytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaAnalytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaAlthough considered a good alternative to organophosphate pesticides, there are reports indicating adverse effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on reproduction. Our aim was to assess the effects of exposure to low doses of imidacloprid on antioxidant state, DNA damage, and concentration of essential elements in the testes and epididymis using a rat model. Adult male Wistar rats were orally treated with doses comparable to currently proposed health-based reference values: 0.06 (ADI), 0.80 (10× AOEL), or 2.25 (1/200 LD<sub>50</sub>) mg/kg b.w./day for 28 consecutive days. Exposure to 2.25 mg/kg b.w./day of imidacloprid resulted in a significantly lower testis weight (1.30 ± 0.17 g compared to 1.63 ± 0.15 g in controls). Treatment with 0.06 mg/kg b.w./day increased the level of reduced glutathione in the epididymis (73%), while the activities of epididymal glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase significantly increased in all treated rats (74–92% and 26–39%, respectively). Exposure to imidacloprid resulted in a low, but significant, level of DNA damage in testicular sperm cells regardless of the concentration applied (<28% compared to the negative control). Higher concentrations of Mo were measured in the testes of rats treated with 0.80 and 2.25 mg/kg b.w./day (72.9 ± 7.9 and 73.9 ± 9.1 mg/g, respectively) compared to the control animals (60.5 ± 7.8 mg/g). Higher concentrations of Na were measured in the testes of rats treated with 2.25 mg/kg b.w./day (1679 ± 82 mg/g compared to 1562 ± 56 mg/g in controls). The fact that such low doses of imidacloprid were able to produce measurable biological effects calls for the further evaluation of this widely used insecticide.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/12/1965antioxidant enzymesDNA damageessential elementsglutathioneneonicotinoids |
| spellingShingle | Blanka Tariba Lovaković Vilena Kašuba Ankica Sekovanić Tatjana Orct Antonija Jančec Alica Pizent Effects of Sub-Chronic Exposure to Imidacloprid on Reproductive Organs of Adult Male Rats: Antioxidant State, DNA Damage, and Levels of Essential Elements Antioxidants antioxidant enzymes DNA damage essential elements glutathione neonicotinoids |
| title | Effects of Sub-Chronic Exposure to Imidacloprid on Reproductive Organs of Adult Male Rats: Antioxidant State, DNA Damage, and Levels of Essential Elements |
| title_full | Effects of Sub-Chronic Exposure to Imidacloprid on Reproductive Organs of Adult Male Rats: Antioxidant State, DNA Damage, and Levels of Essential Elements |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Sub-Chronic Exposure to Imidacloprid on Reproductive Organs of Adult Male Rats: Antioxidant State, DNA Damage, and Levels of Essential Elements |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Sub-Chronic Exposure to Imidacloprid on Reproductive Organs of Adult Male Rats: Antioxidant State, DNA Damage, and Levels of Essential Elements |
| title_short | Effects of Sub-Chronic Exposure to Imidacloprid on Reproductive Organs of Adult Male Rats: Antioxidant State, DNA Damage, and Levels of Essential Elements |
| title_sort | effects of sub chronic exposure to imidacloprid on reproductive organs of adult male rats antioxidant state dna damage and levels of essential elements |
| topic | antioxidant enzymes DNA damage essential elements glutathione neonicotinoids |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/12/1965 |
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