Induction of DNA damage in the peripheral blood of zebrafish (Danio rerio) by an agricultural organophosphate pesticide, monocrotophos

Abstract

The use of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) in agricultural practices in India has gained popularity due to their broad spectrum, low cost and high potency. Monocrotophos (an OP) which is a systemic and contact broad-spectrum cholinesterase inhibitor is being widely used in India. However, its use entails the damage to other non-target organisms such as fish. In the present study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to various doses of monocrotophos (0.125, 0.625 and 1.25 lL/L) and genotoxicity studies were carried out employing the comet assay and micronucleus test in the peripheral blood of these fish after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure. Significant DNA damage in the form of % tail DNA and micronuclei was observed in all the treated fish compared to the control. Both % tail DNA and micronuclei frequency were found to increase significantly as the concentration increased. DNA damage was also observed at all the time intervals for all treatments except in the 0.125 lL/L-treated group. A positive correlation was also observed between the comet assay and micronucleus test. The study thus suggests the use of zebrafish as an experimental model to study the genotoxic effects of agricultural pesticides using the comet assay and micronucleus test.

Caspases as prognostic markers and mortality predictors in acute organophosphorus poisoning

“…This could be attributed to DNA damage and apoptosis by the induction of the oxidative stress resulting from the pesticide [42]. D'Costa et al are in accordance with the present study that observed significant DNA damage in all the fish treated with OP compounds [43]. Here, there was no effect of OP compound on chromosomal pattern as cases showed normal karyotyping.…”

Comparative assessment of the acute toxicity, haematological and genotoxic effects of ten commonly used pesticides on the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus Burchell 1822

“…The slower rate of DNA repair in fishes compared to mammals make them important sentinel species in assessing environmental genotoxicity ( Espina and Weis, 1995 ) but the general similarity of toxic agents in vertebrates, assessing genotoxicity in fishes presents an opportunity of establishing risk potentials in higher vertebrates. The findings from the present study and available literature ( Ullah et al., 2016 ; Ambreen and Javed, 2018 ; D'Costa et al., 2018 ) point to the oxidative stress potentials of the pesticides, given that oxidation is a major precursor for DNA damage. It also raises concerns about the mutagenicity of pesticides not just on the fishes but to humans as well for which several investigators have determine the effects of acute and chronic pesticide exposures ( Benedetti et al., 2014 ).…”

Assessment of DNA damage and oxidative stress in juvenile Channa punctatus (Bloch) after exposure to multi‐walled carbon nanotubes

“…Dose and time‐dependent MNi were induced in erythrocytes of fish by water pollution, as has been reported by Talapatra and Nandy . Based on the time of exposure, D'Costa et al suggested that MNi were induced in zebrafish erythrocytes as corroborated by our study. MNi induction was reported in different tissues of Tilapia rendalli , Oreochromis niloticus , and Cyprinus carpio following treatment with bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, 5‐fluorouracil, and mitomycin C .…”