Quantitative elucidation of the transfer of the neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin to the breast milk in mice

Asuka Shoda; Misaki Nishi; Midori Murata; Youhei Mantani; Toshifumi Yokoyama; Tetsushi Hirano; Yoshinori Ikenaka; Nobuhiko Hoshi

doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2022.10.006

Quantitative elucidation of the transfer of the neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin to the breast milk in mice

Toxicol Lett. 2023 Jan 15:373:33-40. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2022.10.006. Epub 2022 Oct 31.

Authors

Asuka Shoda¹, Misaki Nishi¹, Midori Murata¹, Youhei Mantani², Toshifumi Yokoyama¹, Tetsushi Hirano³, Yoshinori Ikenaka⁴, Nobuhiko Hoshi⁵

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Animal Molecular Morphology, Department of Animal Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8501, Japan.
² Laboratory of Histophysiology, Department of Animal Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8501, Japan.
³ Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
⁴ Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan; Translational Research Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan; One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
⁵ Laboratory of Animal Molecular Morphology, Department of Animal Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8501, Japan. Electronic address: nobhoshi@kobe-u.ac.jp.

PMID: 36328233
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2022.10.006

Abstract

Neonicotinoid pesticides (NNs) have been reported to have neurobehavioral effects on offspring after fetal and lactational exposure. In this study, clothianidin (CLO), an NN, was administered orally as a single dose (6.5 mg/kg: 1/10 of the no-observed-adverse-effect level in the current Pesticide Evaluation Report) to 10-day post-partum ICR mice, and CLO and its metabolites desmethyl-CLO (dm-CLO) were quantified using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS/MS) after collecting maternal breast milk and blood samples over time (1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h after administration). CLO and dm-CLO were detected in the breast milk at 1 h after the administration, and their concentrations were significantly higher than those in blood at all time points. The concentrations of CLO and dm-CLO in the breast milk were at their highest levels at 1 and 3 h, respectively, and then decreased over time to become almost undetectable at 24 h after the administration. These results show that CLO is metabolized in the mother's body and is rapidly transferred to and concentrated in the breast milk. Since CLO concentrations in breast milk are higher than those in the blood, there is concern about the effects of CLO during lactation.

Keywords: Breast milk; Clothianidin; Fetomaternal transfer; Maternal blood; Metabolites; Neonicotinoid.

MeSH terms

Animals
Female
Mice
Mice, Inbred ICR
Milk, Human*
Neonicotinoids / toxicity
Pesticides*
Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

clothianidin
Pesticides
Neonicotinoids