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Lambda-cyhalothrin and its common metabolite differentially modulate thyroid disruption effects in Chinese lizards
Jing Chang1, Yifan Pan2, Wentao Liu2
1Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing RD 18, Beijing, 100085, China.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|May 17, 2021
Summary
Lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) and its metabolite 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (PBA) disrupt lizard thyroid function. LCT significantly alters hormone levels and gene expression, while PBA shows minimal effects, indicating distinct disruption mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Environmental toxicology
- Endocrinology
- Herpetology
Background:
- Pyrethroids are widely used insecticides, but their effects and those of their metabolites on non-target organisms' thyroid systems are not fully understood.
- Research on the toxicological impact of pyrethroid metabolites, specifically on reptilian endocrine disruption, remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the disruptive effects of lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) and its metabolite 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (PBA) on the lizard hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis.
- To elucidate the distinct mechanisms by which LCT and PBA interfere with thyroid hormone regulation in lizards.
Main Methods:
- Lizards were exposed to environmentally relevant soil concentrations of LCT and PBA.
- Histopathological analysis of thyroid glands, measurement of plasma thyroid hormone levels (T3, T4), and quantification of liver gene expression (ugt, dio2) were performed.
- In silico molecular docking simulations were used to analyze interactions between LCT, PBA, and thyroid hormone receptors (TRα, TRβ).
Main Results:
- LCT exposure significantly increased plasma T3 and T4 levels and thyroid follicular epithelium height.
- PBA exposure induced minimal or no significant alterations in thyroid parameters compared to LCT.
- LCT significantly upregulated ugt and dio2 gene expression in the liver, while PBA showed less pronounced or opposite effects.
- In silico analysis revealed LCT binds to TRα similarly to T3, whereas PBA binds to TRβ in a T3-like manner.
Conclusions:
- Both lambda-cyhalothrin and its metabolite 3-phenoxybenzoic acid can disrupt the lizard HPT axis, but through different molecular pathways.
- LCT exhibits more pronounced thyroid-disrupting effects than its metabolite PBA in the studied lizard model.
- These findings contribute to a better understanding of pyrethroid ecotoxicity and aid in comprehensive environmental safety assessments.
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