Reproductive Effects of Two Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Mouse Sperm Function and Early Embryonic Development In Vitro

Abstract

Acetamiprid (ACE) and imidacloprid (IMI) are two major members in the family of neonicotinoid pesticides, which are synthesized with a higher selectivity to insects. The present study determined and compared in vitro effects of ACE, IMI and nicotine on mammalian reproduction by using an integrated testing strategy for reproductive toxicology, which covered sperm quality, sperm penetration into oocytes and preimplantation embryonic development. Direct chemical exposure (500 µM or 5 mM) on spermatozoa during capacitation was performed, and in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, zygotes and 2-cell embryos were respectively incubated with chemical-supplemented medium until blastocyst formation to evaluate the reproductive toxicity of these chemicals and monitor the stages mainly affected. Generally, treatment of 500 µM or 5 mM chemicals for 30 min did not change sperm motility and DNA integrity significantly but the fertilization ability in in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, indicating that IVF process could detect and distinguish subtle effect of spermatozoa exposed to different chemicals. Culture experiment in the presence of chemicals in medium showed that fertilization process and zygotes are adversely affected by direct exposure of chemicals (P<0.05), in an order of nicotine>IMI>ACE, whereas developmental progression of 2-cell stage embryos was similar to controls (P>0.05). These findings unveiled the hazardous effects of neonicotinoid pesticides exposure on mammalian sperm fertilization ability as well as embryonic development, raising the concerns that neonicotinoid pesticides may pose reproductive risks on human reproductive health, especially in professional populations.

Evaluation of ameliorative effect of curcumin on imidacloprid-induced male reproductive toxicity in wistar rats

“…In recent years, many scientific studies indicated toxicity of IM on mammalian system such as teratogenic, mutagenic, neurotoxic, and immunotoxic effects (Duzguner and Erdogan, ; Gawade et al, ; Lonare et al, ). In addition, it has been reported that acetamiprid and IM exposure under in vitro system adversely alters the mouse sperm function and early embryonic development (Gu et al, ) and induces morphological and DNA damage on the reproductive organs of developing male rats (Bal et al, ). Furthermore, gestational exposure to IM altered the neurobehavior of young ones included fetal deformities (Gawade et al, ).…”

Epigenetic Effects of Exposure to Insecticide on Early Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

“…Pesticides are widely used and readily detected in the environment, thus posing risks to human health (Weichenthal et al 2012). Neonicotinoids, which have been increasingly used in recent decades, induce developmental neurotoxicity, reproductive defects, and embryo toxicity through various toxicity pathways based on both in vitro and in vivo results (Babelova et al 2017, Gu et al 2013, Kimura-Kuroda et al 2012). However, the epigenetic effects of neonicotinoids such as DNA methylation on developmental toxicity are not well studied.…”

Pesticides, insecticides and male infertility

“…These findings unveiled the hazardous effects of neonicotinoid insecticides exposure on mammalian sperm fertilization ability as well as embryonic development, raising the concerns that neonicotinoid insecticides may pose reproductive risks on human reproductive health, especially in professional populations. 13 Acetamiprid is also having most devastating effect causing erectile dysfunction as it acts through multiple inhibitory pathways. 14 Emamectin benzoate is a biopesticide derivative of the avermectins developed for the control of insect pests.…”