English

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide and has been extensively used as a crop pest and pet flea control programme because it’s high specificity as an insecticide. Imidacloprid toxicity on mammalian tissues has not been adequately evaluated. In the present study, potential acute neuro and liver toxic effects of imidacloprid were analyzed in rats as a model of mammalian using antioxidant–oxidant and inflammatory system.

10 μM imidacloprid was administrated intravenously and 2 h post-administration, the rats were sacrificed, liver and brains were surgically removed. Exposure to imidacloprid led to significant increases in nitric oxide concentrations in brain, liver and plasma samples. The quantitative mRNA transcriptional analyses demonstrated that imidacloprid-elevated production of NO levels due to the induction of iNOS in liver, but neither nNOS nor iNOS were induced in brain. The oxidant-generating enzymes xanthine oxidase and myeloperoxidase activities in both tissues were elevated and significant lipid peroxidation in liver and plasma was observed. The antioxidant catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were differently responded to imidacloprid administration. Significant intracellular glutathione depletion was also measured in both tissues. Imidacloprid treatment up-regulated inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA transcriptions by 2.5- to 5.2-fold increases in both brain and liver. Conversely, anti-inflammatory mediator IL-10 mRNA was down-regulated in both organs. These results suggest that imidacloprid cause oxidative stress and inflammation in central nervous system and liver in rats.

Imidacloprid (IMI) is widely used systemic insecticide that acts as an agonist on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). IMI has been reported to be more active against insect nAChRs (EC50 0.86–1 μM) than it is against mammalian nAChRs (EC50 70 μM). The objective of this study was to determine to what extent IMI affects the nAChRs of the stellate cells of mouse cochlear nucleus (CN), using whole-cell patch-clamp recording.

Puff application of 1 μM IMI had no significant effect on the membrane properties of the neurons tested, while a concentration of 10 μM caused a significant depolarizing shift in the membrane potential and resulted in increases in the fluctuation of the membrane potential and in the frequency of miniature postsynaptic potentials (mpps) within less than a minute of exposure. IMI at concentrations ≥50 μM caused a significant depolarizing shift in the membrane potential, accompanied by a marked increase in the frequency of action potential. IMI decreased the membrane input resistance and the membrane time constants. Bath application of 50 μM d-tubocurarine (d-TC) reversibly blocked the depolarizing shift of the resting membrane potential and the spontaneous firing induced by IMI application in current clamp and blocked the inward currents through nicotinic receptors induced by IMI application in voltage clamp. Similarly, 100 nM α-bungarotoxin (α-BgTx) blocked the spontaneous firing induced by IMI (n = 3). The amplitude of the 100 μM IMI-induced inward current at −60 mV holding potential was 115.0 ± 16.2 pA (n = 7). IMI at a concentration of 10 μM produced 11.3 ± 3.4 pA inward current (n = 4). We conclude that exposure to IMI at concentrations ≥10 μM for <1 min can change the membrane properties of neurons that have nAChRs and, as a consequence, their function.

Bolivia is set to pass the world's first laws granting all nature equal rights to humans. The Law of Mother Earth, now agreed by politicians and grassroots social groups, will establish 11 new rights for nature. They include: the right to life and to exist; the right to continue vital cycles and processes free from human alteration; the right to pure water and clean air; the right to balance; the right not to be polluted; and the right to not have cellular structure modified or genetically altered.

Ecological changes caused by the insecticide imidacloprid were monitored in experimental paddies throughout a cultivation period. A total of 88 species were observed, with 54 of them aquatic. Plankton, nekton, benthic, and terrestrial communities from imidacloprid fields had significantly less abundance of organisms compared with control fields, either for the entire period or during early stages. The absence of Chironomus yoshimatsui and typical paddy ostracods from imidacloprid fields was most remarkable; as a consequence, green algae blooms (Spirogyra sp.) developed, which in turn hampered the establishment of weeds. Such changes occurred while residues of imidacloprid in water were present at levels greater than 1 μg/L. The overall diversity was similar in all fields and increased constantly until the end of the study. Phytophagous insects dominated in early communities, gradually giving way to predators and scavengers during late stages, but imidacloprid fields had a lower proportion of the latter trophic group. Multivariate analyses helped to describe and differentiate the communities between treatments and control. Hazard- and risk-assessment methods failed to predict imidacloprid impacts, probably because of deficiencies in the exposure and relevant toxicity data used.