S Soujanya1, M Lakshman1, A Anand Kumar1, A Gopala Reddy2
1Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Science, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
2Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
DOI: 10.4103/0976-9668.107262
ABSTRACT
In the present study, the effects of oral administration of imidacloprid for 4 weeks on serum biochemical, oxidative stress, histopathological and ultrastructural alterations were assessed in the liver of male rats. This study also aimed to investigate whether vitamin C could protect against the imidacloprid-induced oxidative stress. Forty-eight male Sprague dawley rats were divided into four groups of 12 animals each. Group 1 served as the control, while groups 2 and 4 were administered with imidacloprid (80 mg/kg body weight) daily by oral gavage for 28 days. In addition to imidacloprid, group 4 also received vitamin C at 10 mg/kg daily by oral gavage for 28 days. Group 3 was maintained as the vitamin C control (dose as above). The serum biochemical assays revealed a significant ( P < 0.05) increase in alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase and decrease in total protein in group 2. The tissue biochemical profile revealed a significant ( P < 0.05) reduction in reduced glutathione concentration in the liver of group 2 animals. Histologically, the liver showed marked dilation, congestion of central vein, portal vein and sinusoidal spaces, vacuolation/fatty change and degenerated hepatocytes. Ultra thin sections of the liver revealed swollen nuclei, varied size and shape of mitochondria, disrupted chromatin and rough endoplasmic reticulum. Co-treatment with vitamin C significantly ( P < 0.05) reversed the imidacloprid-induced changes.
Keywords: Hepatotoxicity, imidacloprid, vitamin C.
