Lipid peroxidative damage, alterations in antioxidant status and morphological changes in rat erythrocytes on lambda-cyhalothrin exposure and its attenuation by taurine

Lambda-cyhalothrin, a third generation type II pyrethroid, is used predominantly in agriculture production and animal husbandry. A study was conducted to investigate lambda-cyhalothrin induced oxidative streßs, morphological changes of erythrocytes and other hematological biomarkers in rat and its amelioration by taurine, 2-amino ethane-sulfonic acid, a ß-amino acid. Rats were randomly divided into six groups and lambda-cyhalothrin was orally administered at two dose levels (10.83 and 15.17 mg/kg body wt), singly or combined with pretreated taurine (50 mg/kg body wt) for consecutive 14 days. Treatment of Lambda-cyhalothrin resulted in an increase in malondialdehyde, oxidized glutathione level and depletion of reduced glutathione level, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-s-transferase and glutathione peroxidase in erythrocyte compared to control. Scanning electron microscopic studies showed a marked alteration in the morphology of Lambda-cyhalothrin treated erythrocytes. Lambdacyhalothrin exposure also showed a significant decrease in erythrocyte count, hemoglobin percentage, haematocrit and red cell indices, whereas a significant increase in white blood cells and lymphocyte count was observed. However, pretreatment with taurine significantly restored the above said parameters. These findings revealed that lambda-cyhalothrin exposure produced oxidative stress, morphological changes of erythrocytes and other hematological biomarkers and its amelioration was accomplished by taurine through its reactive oxygen species scavenging activity.