Prenatal exposure to ethion caused maternal and foetal toxicity in rats

Elizabeth Glanet Durom; V A Aneesha; Nerella Venkata Pavan Kumar; Ajmi Bin Azeez; M Karikalan; Madhu C Lingaraju; Subhashree Parida; Avinash G Telang; Thakur Uttam Singh

doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108607

Prenatal exposure to ethion caused maternal and foetal toxicity in rats

Reprod Toxicol. 2024 May 9:126:108607. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108607. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Elizabeth Glanet Durom¹, V A Aneesha², Nerella Venkata Pavan Kumar¹, Ajmi Bin Azeez³, M Karikalan⁴, Madhu C Lingaraju¹, Subhashree Parida¹, Avinash G Telang⁵, Thakur Uttam Singh¹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar-243122, UP, India.
² Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar-243122, UP, India. Electronic address: draneeshava@gmail.com.
³ Division of Physiology and Climatology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar-243122, UP, India.
⁴ Centre for Wildlife Conservation, Management and Disease Surveillance, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, 243122, UP, India.
⁵ Centre for Animal Disease Research and Diagnosis (CADRAD), ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar-243122, UP, India.

PMID: 38734317
DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108607

Abstract

Ethion is a class II moderately toxic organothiophosphate pesticide. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the maternal and foetal toxicity of ethion in rats. Pregnant rats were divided into 5 groups. Group I served as control. Group II, III, IV, and V were orally administered with 0.86, 1.71, 3.43, and 6.9 mg/kg of ethion respectively, from gestational day (GD) 6-19. Dams were sacrificed on GD 20. Maternal toxicity was assessed by body weight gain, foetal resorptions, oxidative stress, liver and kidney function tests, and histopathology. Foetal toxicity was assessed by physical status, gross, teratological and histopathological examination. Ethion caused dose-dependent reduction in maternal body weight gain, increased resorptions, and reduced gravid uterine weights. Elevated MDA levels and altered levels of GSH, SOD and catalase were recorded in pregnant dam serum and tissues. SGOT, SGPT, total bilirubin, urea, uric acid, and creatinine were elevated in ethion groups indicating liver and kidney toxicity. Histology of uterus revealed myometrial degeneration and mucosal gland atrophy in uterus of pregnant dams and degenerative changes in placenta. It showed histological alterations in liver, kidney, and lungs. There was reduction in the foetal body weights and placental weights, and degenerative changes in the foetal liver and kidney. Gross evaluation of foetuses showed subcutaneous hematoma. Skeletal evaluation showed partial ossification of skull bones, costal separation, and agenesis of tail vertebrae, sternebrae, metacarpals and metatarsals. The findings reveal that prenatal exposure to ethion caused maternal and foetal toxicity in rats.

Keywords: Dam; Ethion; Foetus; Prenatal exposure; Rats.