The Liver of Young and Old Female Rats Exhibits Heightened Susceptibility to Dichlorvos Exposure

Exposure to industrial and agricultural environmental contaminants has been shown to produce deleterious effects on different organs of the human body. Dichlorvos [O, O-dimethyl O-(2,2-dichlorovinyl) phosphate, DDVP] is a major organophosphate pesticide used mostly in developing countries for domestic and agricultural insect control. The toxic effects of DDVP have been reported on many organs. However, its gender and age-dependent effects on the liver are yet to be documented. This study investigated the influence of gender and age on liver damage in male and female rats exposed to DDVP. Animals were divided into control and experimental groups with age and gender classification. Using age, rats were classified into young, middle-aged, and old age groups. Rats in the experimental groups were exposed to DDVP from 8 am to 12 noon for five weeks. Rats were subsequently euthanized and liver tissues were harvested for biochemical assay. Glutamyl transferase (GGT), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Albumin, and conjugated bilirubin were assayed using ELISA kits. Statistical analysis was done using two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey post-Hoc test at significance level of p<0.05. Our study found that DDVP exposure caused liver damage in female rats only with significant elevation in liver enzymes such as ALP, ALT, AST, and LDH. However, the male rats showed more resistance to DDVP exposure. The liver damage observed in female rats was age-dependent, with young and old rats showing higher susceptibility compared to middle-aged female rats. Nutritional and pharmacological strategies are recommended to mitigate the effect of DDVP exposure, particularly in populations at higher risk of exposure.