Study of the Effects of Diazinon on Fetal Liver in BALB/c Mice

Abstract

BackgroundDiazinon is an organophosphate that is broadly used as a pesticide to control insects and environmental pollutions. This toxic material is absorbed via inhalation, contact, or digestion and affects different tissues.ObjectivesThis research was a histomorphometric and immunohistochemical study of the fetal liver of mice after exposure to Diazinon.Materials and MethodsTwenty-five pregnant BALB/c mice (25 - 30 gr) were divided into five equal groups in the animal lab of Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The normal group was without any intervention, and two sham groups received an emulsifier as 0.52 and 5.2 μL/volume (5000 cc in desiccator) and two experimental groups received Diazinon 1.3 and 13μL/volume from the seventh to eighteenth days of pregnancy every other day via forty minutes of inhalation. The pregnant mice were killed on the eighteenth day of gestation and their fetuses were removed and evaluated for fetal growth and liver development. Five fixed fetuses were dehydrated through a series of graded ethanol, embedded in paraffin wax and their whole bodies were sectioned sagittally and stained via the hematoxylin-eosin method. Quantitative computer-assisted morphometric studies were done on the fetal liver tissues occupied by hepatocytes, blood islands, liver sinusoids, and apoptosis.ResultsThe mean crown-rump of the fetuses and their mean weight were increased in the experimental group as compared to the sham and normal groups, but the differences were not significant. The mean percentage of the hepatocyte area significantly increased in the experimental group as compared to the sham and control groups (P < 0.0001). However, the mean sinusoid area significantly decreased in the experimental group as compared to the sham and control groups. The mean percentage of the area occupied by apoptotic hepatocytes in the experimental group - 13 μL /volume (8.6143 ± 1.00945) and 1.3 μL /volume (6.1091 ± 0.93093) - significantly increased as compared to the normal and sham groups (P < 0.0001).ConclusionsOur data showed that inhalation of Diazinon during pregnancy increased the hepatocyte area and hepatocyte apoptosis while it decreased the sinusoid area of the fetal liver.

Adverse effects of organophosphorus pesticides on the liver: a brief summary of four decades of research

“…Forty-minute inhalation of diazinon every other day in pregnant mice induced a dosedependent increase in the hepatocyte area, hepatocyte apoptosis, and a decrease in the sinusoid area of the foetal liver (40).…”

Evaluation of the Postnatal Effects Induced by Diazinon on the Growth of the Mice Offspring and the Development of Their Cerebellar Cortex

“…DZN induced oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation by enhancing the formation and aggregation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is initiating brain damage and secondary apoptosis [Sargazi et al, 2015;Saraei et al, 2016;Anbarkeh et al, 2019]. A comparable finding was noticed by Imosemi and Osinubi [2011].…”

“…In comparison to the control groups, a significant increase in fetal weight at birth and at PD7 was detected with a significant decrease at PD14. The body weight is an accurate indicator of the developmental toxicity in neonatal pups [Allam et al, 2011] and previous studies observed an increase in fetal weight at birth after prenatal exposure to DZN [Saraei et al, 2016] and a decrease at PD21 in mice prenatally treated by chlorpyrifos [Ambali et al, 2009]. These findings clarified that the OP-induced teratogenic effect had been triggered by passing through the placenta, which is accompanied by poor clearance and detoxification system in the immature fetus [Tayaa et al, 2015;Indu et al, 2016].…”

Protective Effect of Morus Nigra Leaf Extract on Diazinon-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

“…16 Research done by Saraei et al revealed that inhalation of Diazinon by pregnant mice increased the apoptosis in the developing hepatocytes. 17 The liver sections of rats belonging to group III showed normal histological structure of the hepatic tissue. Normal arrangement of hepatocytes was observed.…”