Biochemical and genotoxic effects of prothiofos in rats

ABSTRACT

Organophosphate pesticides continue to pose a risk to animal and human health. By using stomach tube, orally three dose levels of the organophosphate insecticide prothiofos were used for 28 days. Other groups of rats were exposed to the same three dose level for 28 days and then recovery from pesticide for 14 days [i.e. withdrawal time of 14 days]. These three dose levels include high dose level [1/20 of LD[50]], the medium level [1/40 of LD[50]] and the low level [1/60 of 11]50]. Blood samples for studying the biochemical changes were taken from rat eye cansus at 7, 14 and 28 days. At the end of experimental course, the animals were sacrificed for studying the pathological and cytogenetic changes after the exposure and recovery from pesticide. Results revealed significant elevation in serum AST and ALT activities at the different intervals and doses. This elevation was marked at using the dose levels of 1/20 and 1/40 of LD[50]. Activity of Ach E was inhibited with different doses and intervals. Significant reduction in albumin level was noticed with the dose level of 1/20 and 1/40 of LD[50] but slight reduction was observed with dose level 1/60 of LD[50]. Significant elevation in creatinine level was achieved at dose levels of 1/20 and 1/40 of LU50] but slight elevation was observed with dose level of 1/60 of LD[50]. Hepatic tissues of rats exposed to high and medium dose levels showed different degenerative and fatty changes. Also, kidneys of treated groups showed sever congestion in the stronial blood vessels with perivascular oedenia. Bone marrow cells of treated rats revealed that, prothiofos induced highly significant increase in the number of chromosomal aberration at the three dose levels. The most frequent aberrations were chromatid gap followed by break, deletion and ring. A centric fragment and fragment were the lowest types of aberrant cell scored. Numerical aberration which showed as polyploidy was scored in all dose levels of treatment. Recovery leads to improvement of the physiological condition of the exposed rats. The adverse effects of pesticide exposure were subsiding with the medium and low doses levels. Also, recovery did not achieve improvement of genotoxic effect at the all doses levels