Imidacloprid decreased lifespan and increased intestinal fat deposition in C. elegans (1029.8)

Abstract

Two thirds of the US population is overweight or obese and childhood obesity is increasing. Growing evidence supports a connection between obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and environmental chemical exposure. Effects of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, on intestinal fat deposition and lifespan were tested in wild type (N2) and daf‐16 deficient (daf‐16(mgDf50)I) Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) in liquid culture supplied with 5‐fluoro‐2’‐deoxyuridine (0.24mM). Control group received E. coli (OP50). Experimental group was treated with additional imidacloprid (0.1‐1,000nM). Half of the nematodes were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, washed with PBS, stained with Nile red and fluorescent spectrometry determined intensity. Imidacloprid dose‐dependently reduced mean survival time during 22 day study and increased intestinal fat deposition in N2. The reduced fat deposition was diminished and the lifespan was mildly decreased by imidacloprid in daf‐16(mgDf50)I (0.1nM, P=0.003). These data prove that imidacloprid adversely affects health of C. elegans, is associated with increased fat accumulation, and is partially mediated via the daf‐16 pathway.