The Effect of Different Repeated Doses of Cypermethrin on the Behavioral and Histological Alterations in the Brain of Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculi)

Abstract

Among pesticides, insecticides are being used to control external parasitic infestations in animals and crops and combat vermin in and around houses. Insecticides are associated with harmful effects on body organs, including brain damage. To explore the toxic effects of pyrethroid insecticides on the brain, this study was conducted to explore the neural-toxicological effects of cypermethrin (CY) in apparently healthy adults and weight-matched male rabbits (n=40). Different doses (0, 50, 100, and 150mg.kg-1 body weight) of CY mixed in mustard oil were injected intraperitoneally at weekly intervals for 71 days in rabbits assigned into four equal groups: W, X, Y, and Z. The rabbits under experiment were monitored daily for various clinical signs of toxicity and fodder intake, whereas the body weight was noted weekly. Two rabbits from each group were euthanized fortnightly, and the brain from each animal was collected for morphological and histological examination. The CY-treated rabbits showed various clinical signs, decreased body weight gain, and reduced relative brain weight. Microscopically, the CY-treated rabbits showed Purkinje neurons of the cerebellum and pyramidal neurons of the cerebral cortex at different stages of development. Therefore, CY could lead to brain and behavior alterations in rabbits and increase the risk of diseases.