Subacute genotoxicity of acetamiprid in somatic cells of Swiss albino male mice

Abstract

Pesticides are applied to plants all over the world to boost food production and lower the spread of diseases carried by insects. Exposure to the pesticides may cause genotoxic effects on target and non-target organisms, including humans. In agriculture, acetamiprid (ACE), a neonicotinoid insecticide, is frequently applied either alone or in conjunction with other pesticides. A combined approach employing the micronucleus test (MNT) and chromosomal aberrations (CAs) assay was used to evaluate the genotoxic effects of acetamiprid in the bone marrow of male Swiss albino mice. Acetamiprid was administered i.p. daily at 4.6 and 2.3 mg/kg/day along with 3% gum acacia as a negative control for 30 days. ACE treatment resulted in a small dose dependent increase in the frequencies of micronuclei per cell (0.28 ± 0.04, 0.38 ± 0.03, and 0.45 ± 0.02 for the control, 2.3 and 4.6 mg/kg b.wt. groups, respectively) and chromosomal aberrations (3.67 ± 0.61, 5.00 ± 0.45, and 7.00 ± 1.43 for the control, 2.3 and 4.6 mg/kg b.wt. groups, respectively) in bone marrow cells, but no significant differences were observed between these data sets. In conclusion, daily i.p. exposure of ACE @ 2.3 and 4.6 mg/kg b.wt. for 30 days did not produce significant genotoxic effects in the somatic cells of Swiss albino male mice.