Neuroendocrine regulation and pesticidal impact on freshwater crab, Barytelphusa guerini (H. Milne Edwards).

The extensive use of pesticides to control agricultural pests poses a serious threat to many non-target organisms of the aquatic environment such as the freshwater crab, B. guerini. The deleterious influence of the pesticide causes physiological, biochemical, histological and such other disorders in the animal exposed. In the present study impact of an organophosphate pesticide, monocrotophos and neuroendocrine regulation on the biochemical contents of hepatopancreas of B. guerini has been studied. Experimental studies revealed that glycogen and protein content decreased in normal crabs when exposed to sub lethal concentrations of monocrotophos, while lipid content was increased. In the ablated and pesticide exposed crabs glycogen, protein and lipid contents decreased. In case of ablated and exposed crabs when injected with eyestalk extract, glycogen and protein contents declined, whereas lipid content hiked. It was observed that glycogen, protein and lipid contents in eyestalk extract injected crabs were similar to those of normal exposed crabs. This indicates the vital role of eyestalk in the regulation of biochemical contents. Histological studies of the hepatopancreas indicate structural changes such as large number of vacuolated cells and phagocytes when exposed to the pesticide.

Impact of low dose of organophosphate, monocrotophos on the epithelial cells of gills of Cyprinus carpio communis Linn.--SEM study.

The paper deals with the deleterious changes at ultrastructural level of the epithelial cells of gills of Cyprinus carpio communis Linn. upon exposure to 1/10th of LC50 of monocrotophos which is considered to be insignificant concentration from toxicological point of view. The gills of the fish are the primary corridor formolecularexchange between the internal milieu of a fish and its environment. Gills perform numerous functions such as oxygen uptake and CO2 excretion, osmoregulation, acid-basic balance, excretion of nitrogenous compounds and taste. Hazardous chemicals present in water may alter the morphology of the epithelial cells of gills of the fish, which may affect the process of diffusion of gases and ultimately the overall health of the fish. To prove this fact Cyprinus carpio communis Linn. was kept in water for 30 days having low concentration of 0.038 ppm (1\10th of LC50) of monocrotophos and an attempt was made to study the different types of degenerations produced in the epithelial cells of gills as compared to the normal epithelial cells of gills of this culturable fish using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) technique. The ultrastructural changes due to the toxic exposure at finer scale were thinning of microridges, upliftment of epithelial cells, development of hyperplasia, decrease in the density of mucous cells which are considered to be the first line of defence and total dystrophy of epithelial tissue. Thus, it is opined that a low concentration of monocrotophos has the potential to bring different type of degenerations at finer scale hence affecting the fish's health drastically and altering the fitness of the fish in water even having insignificant amount of this toxicant in the ambient water

Biochemical effects of some organophosphorus pesticides on the ovaries of albino rats.

An evaluation of the toxic effects of three organophosphates; monocrotophos, dimethoate and methyl parathion on female reproduction was made by biochemical estimations of cytoplasmic and membrance bound proteins, lipids, phospholipids and cholesterol in the rat ovaries after treatment with their low residual level doses (LD50 1/8-1/5) to three groups of six rats each for 90 days. All the three pesticides caused degenerative changes in the ovaries as evidenced by a significant decrease in the concentration of cytoplasmic as well as membrane bound proteins, total lipids, phospholipids and cholesterol. The observations are thus indicative of the reproductive toxicity caused by organophosphates at cellular and molecular level in the ovaries of rats.

Enzymatic changes induced by some organophosphorus pesticides in female rats.

An evaluation of toxic effects of three organophosphorus pesticides viz. monocrotophos, methyl parathion and dimethoate given orally daily for 90 days was done in terms of enzymatic changes in plasma and liver of female albino rats. A significant decrease was observed in the level of esterases in plasma with all the three pesticides. The activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases and aminotransferases increased significantly in plasma and significantly or marginally in liver with these pesticides. The results are thus indicative of the cellular toxicity of these organophosphates even after their subchronic administration in low doses for a long period.

SEM study on cytotoxic effect of monocrotophos (MCP) on lungs of rat.

Monocrotophos (MCP) on oral administration (0.28 mg/100 g of body wt. i.e. 1/5th of LD50) to female rats for 15 and 30 days damaged alveolar walls lined by type II cells (great alveolar cells); clara cells (non-ciliated cells) lining bronchiolar epithelium; and emphysematous lesions due to loss of inter-alveolar walls. This led to increase in surface tension in lung due to decrease in secretion of surfactant as a result of necrosis of great alveolar cells and clara cells resulting in hypoxia. This effect was time dependent. In R group (15 days without pesticide after 30 days daily oral treatment), the toxic effects mentioned above still persisted which revealed non-repair of necrosis caused by MCP.

Controle da cigarrinha-verde (Empoasca kraemeri (Ross & Moore, 1957) (Hemiptera - Homoptera: cicadellidae)) no feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris) / Control of cigarrinha-verde (Empoasca kraemeri (Ross & Moore, 1957) (Hemiptera - Homoptera: cicadellidae)) in the beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Estudou-se os efeitos tóxicos dos inseticidas esfenvalerato, fenitrotion, fenpropatrin e monocrotofos sobre as ninfas de E. kraemeri em cultura de feijoeiro. A pesquisa doi conduzida no município de Nepomuceno - MG, utilizando uma lavoura comerical de cultivar "Carioca". Os compostos foram diluídos em água nas doses recomendadas pelos fabricantes para o controle de pragas, sendo a aplicaçäo realizada através de um pulverizador costal, propiciando volume de aplicaçäo de 400 L/ha. Os resultados mostraram que todos os compostos controlaram a praga em questäo, porém o fenitrotion na dose de 750 g i.a./ha apresentou o maior nível médio de controle.