Abstract
Neonicotinoids are the most widely used synthetic insecticides in the world. These insecticides are widely distributed in the ecosystem, indicating that more attention should be paid to the potential risks regarding their use in agriculture. Due their intensive use, non-target species in the environment are also exposed to their putative effects. Within acute exposure trials, the time related effect of sublethal dose of the neonicotinoid preparation APACS 50 WG was investigated on swimming behaviour and the multi-xenobiotic resistance system (MXR) activity, as a first line defence pathway of adult Dikerogammarus villosus. Results showed that treated animals manifested an increased swimming activity. Exposed animals were monitored by the rhodamine B accumulation assay, and APACS 50 WG exerted distinct changes in the MXR activity as well. Our results suggested that application of neonicotinoid at a low concentration (3.9 ng/l) contributed to the activation of locomotor activity and at the same concentration range the transmembrane transport mechanisms was altered too.
Highlights
Neonicotinoids are considered among the most important classes of pesticide active ingredients currently used in agricultural crop protection
Neonicotinoids mimic the action of acetylcholine (ACh), one of the main excitatory neurotransmitters of the central nervous system and the primary mechanism of action is their strong binding to the postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (Tomizawa and Casida 2005) showing a more selective pharmacological/ toxicological profile to arthropod than vertebrate receptors
It has already been proven that the multixenobiotic resistance system (MXR) is activated by the effect of various neonicotinoids in aquatic invertebrates (Vehovszky et al 2018)
Summary
Neonicotinoids are considered among the most important classes of pesticide active ingredients currently used in agricultural crop protection. Neonicotinoids mimic the action of acetylcholine (ACh), one of the main excitatory neurotransmitters of the central nervous system and the primary mechanism of action is their strong binding to the postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) (Tomizawa and Casida 2005) showing a more selective pharmacological/ toxicological profile to arthropod than vertebrate receptors. The majority of scientific publications focus on imidacloprid, which was the first and widely applied neonicotinoid, but the most commonly used, thiamethoxam, and its metabolite clothianidin have received less attention. In the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.), Recent detection of clothianidin in surface waters has raised interest in characterizing the potential impacts of this insecticide to aquatic organisms as well. It has already been proven that the multixenobiotic resistance system (MXR) is activated by the effect of various neonicotinoids in aquatic invertebrates (Vehovszky et al 2018)
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