Cytogenetic Effect of the Organophosphorous Insecticide DDVP and Its Residues in Stored Faba Beans in Somatic and Germ Cells of the Mouse.

Abstract

In the present studies, chromosome aberrations in splenocytes, spermatocytes and sister-chromatid exchange in bone marrow cells of the mouse were used as cytogenetic end points in genetic risk assessment of DDVP. Two routes of treatment were conducted using male swiss mice. Oral treatment by gavage for 3 successive days with 14.5 mg DDVP kg-1 body wt. and feeding mice for one, two and three months with Vicia faba seeds treated with 12 mg kg-1 DDVP and stored for 13, 26 and 39 weeks. Oral treatment by gavage with DDVP induced a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of chromosome aberrations in somatic and germ cells. It reached 17.50% (P<0.01) and 11.77% (P<0.01) in splenocyte and spermatocyte cells, respectively after treatment with 3×14.5 mg DDVP kg-1 body wt. The percentage of the induced chromosomal aberrations in somatic and germ cells increased by increasing the period of feeding with the stored seeds. DDVP induced its maximum effect on the induction of chromosomal aberrations in splenocytes and spermatocytes after feeding for 3 months with the seeds stored for 26 weeks. Its percentage reached 15.40% and 11.94% in splenocytes and spermatocytes respectively compared with 28.90% and 19.10% in splenocytes and spermatocytes respectively after i.p. injection with the positive control. The main type of aberrations in splenocytes was fragments and/or chromatid breaks. Gaps, Robertsonian translocations and tetraploid cells were observed in a lower percentage. Separation of chromosomes was the dominant type in spermatocytes. Both autosomal and X, Y univalents were observed, however, X, Y univalents were more frequent. Feeding mice with Vicia faba seeds treated with DDVP and stored for different periods of time had a weak effect on SCE's. The presented studies indicate that, the organophosphorous insecticide DDVP and its residues in stored Vicia faba seeds are genotoxic in the different kinds of cells analyzed.