Individual and mixture effect of Deltamethrin and Dimethoate on liver : A biochemical, histopathological, immunohistochemical, and genotoxic study

Many pesticides are used together or in a method, eventually resulting in multiple exposures. These mixtures can lead to unpredicted adverse health consequences in the exposed population. Numerous studies on individual risk assessments are available, but combined usage's toxicity is still to estimate. So, the current study investigated hepatotoxicity induced by exposure to deltamethrin (DLT) and dimethoate (DM) and their mixture in adult male albino rats. Methods: Forty adult male albino rats were randomized into five equal groups (n=8); Group I: control, Group II: the vehicle group received 1ml corn oil. Group III: received DLT (5 mg/kg b.w.), Group IV: received DM (20 mg/kg b.w.), Group V: received DLT (5 mg/kg b.w) and DM (20 mg/kg b.w). Treatments were orally gavaged once-daily dose for twelve weeks. Results: Separate DLT and DM exposure significantly induced an increase in serum liver enzymes, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline transferase, and lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin, and liver malondialdehyde levels accompanied by a decrease in serum total protein, plasma cholinesterase enzyme, liver superoxide dismutase, catalase, and reduced glutathione levels. These biochemical alterations were supported by the lesions observed in histological sections, decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 and DNA damage and genotoxicity detected by the comet assay. Conclusion: Co-administration of DLT and DM aggravated hepatic dysfunction, exhausting the endogenous antioxidant status and down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2. Thus, these mixtures can increase the harmful effects of each compound on the liver.