Abstract
The study objective was to evaluate the potential reproductive toxicity of sulfoxaflor (SFX) insecticide in male Sprague Dawley rats. To attain these objectives, forty male Sprague Dawley rats of 10–12 weeks old were randomly divided into four equal groups; the 1st group was used as a control group; the other three groups were exposed to 25, 100, and 500 mg/kg body weight SFX by oral gavage for 4 weeks. Relative testicular weight, testosterone, FSH, LH, MDA, and GPx levels, sperm viability, sperm morphology, sperm DNA damage, and histopathological changes in testes, epididymis, and seminal vesical of these rats were investigated after 4 weeks. The results showed that SFX exposure resulted in a significant increase in FSH, LH, MDA, and GPx levels as well as the percentage of dead and abnormal sperms and DNA damage in rat sperms. Histopathological examination of testes established testicular degeneration with coagulative necrosis as well as the proliferation of interstitial connective tissue infiltrated with inflammatory cells with congestion of intertubular blood vessels in epididymis and degeneration of lining epithelium of seminal vesicles.
Highlights
The use of pesticides in global agriculture is uncontrolled and poses a huge threat to public health
In spite of the fact that SFX has more advantages than other insecticides, it can alter nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, causing neurotoxicity (Authority et al 2019) and induced liver effects as hepatocellular hypertrophy and liver tumors in rats and mice (Bacci et al 2018), several studies reported the toxic effects of different neonicotinoids on animals and humans, such as hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and immunotoxicity
This is in agreement with Saber et al (2021) who showed that exposure of male rats to imidacloprid at a dose of 22.5 mg/kg every day for 56 days caused an increase in the levels of LH and FSH compared to the control group
Summary
The use of pesticides in global agriculture is uncontrolled and poses a huge threat to public health. Many investigations have revealed that the presence of the residues of pesticides in soil, water, and agricultural products can affect humans and can enter to the bloodstream and bind to circulating serum proteins (Hadi Chegni et al 2020). In spite of the fact that SFX has more advantages than other insecticides, it can alter nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, causing neurotoxicity (Authority et al 2019) and induced liver effects as hepatocellular hypertrophy and liver tumors in rats and mice (Bacci et al 2018), several studies reported the toxic effects of different neonicotinoids on animals and humans, such as hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and immunotoxicity
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