Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity in Mice Induced by Abamectin and Ameliorating Effect of Quercetin

Abstract

Abamectin is a natural fermentation product and widely used as insecticide, acaricide and anthelmintic drug. This study was conducted to investigate the acute toxicity of abamectin toward male mice and evaluate the impact effect of repeated sublethal dose (1/10 LD 50 for 14 days) on some hematological, immunological and biochemical parameters as well as histopathological changes. Also, the effectiveness of quercetin in alleviating the toxicity of abamectin was investigated. The data indicated that, there was significant decrease in the body weight gain and increase in the relative weights of liver and kidney of animals treated with abamectin compared with control. Also, a significant decline in hemoglobin content (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV) and red blood cells (RBC), while the white blood cells (WBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) increased. Abamectin reduced the cellular immunity; active and total rosette-forming cells (RFC) and humoral immunity; plaque forming cells (PFC) and serum immunoglobulins; total Ig, IgG and IgM levels. Oxidative stress of abamectin was assessed by significant increase of lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and decrease of glutathione content (GSH). Also, the function parameters of liver; aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities and kidney; creatinine and urea concentrations were significantly increased by abamectin treatment. The above findings were confirmed by histopathological examination of liver and kidney. In addition, the results showed that quercetin supplementation significantly protected the adverse effects of abamectin.