Sex-, tissue-, and exposure duration-dependent effects of imidacloprid modulated by piperonyl butoxide and menadione in rats. Part I: oxidative and neurotoxic potentials

Abstract Earlier research has evidenced the oxidative and neurotoxic potential of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, in different animal species. The primary aim of this study was to determine how metabolic modulators piperonyl butoxide and menadione affect imidacloprid’s adverse action in the liver and kidney of Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes. The animals were exposed to imidacloprid alone (170 mg kg-1) or in combination with piperonyl butoxide (100 mg kg-1) or menadione (25 mg kg-1) for 12 and 24 h. Their liver and kidney homogenates were analysed spectrophotometrically for glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, catalase, total cholinesterase specific activities, total glutathione, total protein content, and lipid peroxidation levels. Imidacloprid displayed its prooxidative and neurotoxic effects predominantly in the kidney of male rats after 24 h of exposure. Our findings suggest that the observed differences in prooxidative and neurotoxic potential of imidacloprid could be related to differences in its metabolism between the sexes. Co-exposure (90-min pre-treatment) with piperonyl butoxide or menadione revealed tissue-specific effect of imidacloprid on total cholinesterase activity. Increased cholinesterase activity in the kidney could be an adaptive response to imidacloprid-induced oxidative stress. In the male rat liver, co-exposure with piperonyl butoxide or menadione exacerbated imidacloprid toxicity. In female rats, imidacloprid+menadione co-exposure caused prooxidative effects, while no such effects were observed with imidacloprid alone or menadione alone. In conclusion, sex-, tissue-, and duration-specific effects of imidacloprid are remarkable points in its toxicity Sažetak Rezultati ranijih istraživanja pokazali su oksidativni i neurotoksični potencijal imidakloprida, neonikotinoidnog insekticida, u različitih životinjskih vrsta. Primarni je cilj ovog istraživanja bio utvrditi kako modulatori metabolizma piperonil butoksid i menadion utječu na nepovoljne učinke imidakloprida na jetra i bubrege muških i ženskih štakora soja Sprague-Dawley. Životinje su 12 h odnosno 24 h bile izložene samo imidaklopridu (170 mg kg-1) ili njegovoj kombinaciji s piperonil butoksidom (100 mg kg-1) odnosno menadionom (25 mg kg-1). U homogenatima jetara i bubrega spektrofotometrijski su utvrđene razine glutation peroksidaze, glutation S-transferaze, katalaze, specifične aktivnosti ukupne kolinesteraze, ukupni glutation, ukupni proteini te razine lipidne peroksidacije. Imidakloprid se pokazao prooksidativnim i neurotoksičnim uglavnom u bubrezima muških štakora nakon 24-satne izloženosti. Naši rezultati upućuju na to da su razlike u prooksidativnom i neurotoksičnom djelovanju imidakloprida povezane sa spolnim razlikama. Predtretmanom piperonil butoksidom odnosno menadionom (90 min prije davanja imidakloprida) otkriveno je da imidakloprid djeluje na ukupnu aktivnost kolinesteraze specifično za pojedina tkiva. Povišena aktivnost kolinesteraza u bubrezima mogla bi odražavati prilagodbu na oksidativni stres uzrokovan imidaklopridom. Piperonil butoksid odnosno menadion u jetrima muških štakora samo su pogoršali toksičnost imidakloprida. U ženki je djelovanje imidakloprida s menadionom bilo prooksidativno; takvo se djelovanje nije vidjelo nakon primjene samo imidakloprida odnosno samo menadiona. Vjerujemo da je promjenjivo djelovanje imidakloprida s obzirom na spol, tkivo i trajanje izloženosti važno za daljnja istraživanja njegove toksičnosti