Abstract
Pesticide exposure may induce biochemical alterations including oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. However, in the context of developmental origin of health and disease, putative trans-generational effect of exposure to pesticides are insufficiently studied. We therefore aimed to evaluate the biochemical effect of gestational exposure to four pesticides on female Wistar rats and their offspring at adult age. We studied 30 female nulliparous Wistar rats divided into 5 equal groups. Group 1 served as the control group and received distilled water while group 2, 3, 4 and 5 received orally pesticide 1 (imidacloprid), pesticide 2 (chlorpyrifos), pesticide 3 (imidacloprid + lambda cyhalothrin) and pesticide 4 (oxamyl) respectively once daily throughout gestation at a dose equivalent to 1/10 lethal dose 50. The mothers were followed up until one month post gestation. The offspring were followed up from birth until adult age (12 weeks). In all animals at each time point we evaluated malondialdehyde (MDA), oxidative stress and liver function enzymes. There was similar variation of total body weight in all the groups during and after gestation. However, Female Wistar rats of the exposed groups had significant alterations in liver SOD (−30.8% to +64.1%), catalase (−38.8% to −85.7%) and GSH (−29.2% to −86.5%) and; kidney catalase (> 100%), GSH (> 100%). Moreover, MDA, alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels were significantly higher in pesticide exposed rats compared to the control group. Similar alterations in antioxidant enzymes, MDA and liver function enzymes were observed in offspring of treated rats evidenced at weaning and persisting until adult age. Exposure to pesticides causes oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in exposed female Wistar rats and their offspring. The persistence in offspring at adult age suggests transgenerational adverse effects.
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Abbreviations
- ALT:
-
Alanine Transaminase
- AST:
-
Aspartate Transaminase
- BSA:
-
Bovine Serum Albumin
- EC:
-
Emulsifiable concentrate
- EDTA:
-
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- GPx:
-
Glutathione peroxidase
- GR:
-
Glutathione reductase
- MDA:
-
Malondialdehyde
- NADP:
-
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate
- nAChR:
-
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
- OD:
-
Optical Density
- GSSG:
-
Oxidized Glutathione
- GSH:
-
Reduced glutathione
- SL:
-
Soluble liquid
- SEM:
-
Standard error of mean
- SOD:
-
Superoxide dismutase
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This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Ndonwi, E.N., Atogho-Tiedeu, B., Lontchi-Yimagou, E. et al. Gestational Exposure to Pesticides Induces Oxidative Stress and Lipid Peroxidation in Offspring that Persist at Adult Age in an Animal Model. Toxicol Res. 35, 241–248 (2019). https://doi.org/10.5487/TR.2019.35.3.241
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5487/TR.2019.35.3.241