Background: Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides used for plant protection. They are synthetic analogues of pyrethrins. Lambdacyhalothrin (LCH) is a type II pyrethroid used for wheat, potato, corn farming, and malaria control. There are data that pyrethroids may cause neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and immunotoxicity in non-target organisms.
Methods: The experiment was carried on 32 Albino Swiss mice (16 females and 16 males). The animals were divided into four groups. Controls received canola oil; the rest received LCH orally in oil at a dose of 2 mg/kg bw for 7 days. Memory retention was assessed in a passive avoidance task on day 2 and 7, and spatial memory and motor activity in a Y-maze on day 1 and 7. Blood morphology, biochemical tests, tumor necrosis factor α, and interleukin 1ß were measured.
Results: Decreased white blood cell count and red blood cell count, increased creatinine, and increased kidney and liver mass were observed in groups exposed to LCH. In LCH-exposed males' kidneys and livers, interleukin 1ß was significantly elevated, and it was correlated with creatinine concentration.
Conclusions: Subacute poisoning with a low dose of LCH does not significantly affect memory nor locomotor activity but increases proinflammatory interleukin 1ß in male livers and kidneys and reduces white and red blood cell counts.
Keywords: hepatotoxicity; immunotoxicity; lambdacyhalothrin; nephrotoxicity; pyrethroids.