title: Evaluation of the genotoxicity of the pyrethroid insecticide phenothrin.
abstract: Phenothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid compound, is widely used to control agricultural and household insects, as well as to eliminate human louse infestation. Toxicity studies on the direct DNA-damaging effect of phenothrin are lacking. We therefore investigated whether phenothrin exposure can lead to increased DNA damage in vitro in human peripheral blood lymphocytes and in human hepatocytes. Genotoxicity was evaluated by means of the comet assay modified with formamidopyrimidine DNA-glycosylase post-treatment for the detection of oxidative base-damage in DNA. We also assessed the cytotoxic potential of this compound by use of combined fluorescence viability staining. Our results show that phenothrin induces statistically significant, dose-dependent DNA damage in the absence of marked cytotoxicity at concentrations higher than 20 μM and 50 μM in human blood peripheral lymphocytes and hepatocytes, respectively. Oxidative DNA damage could also be detected in the two cell types, although this did not reach statistical significance. These findings provide evidence of the DNA-damaging potential of phenothrin and call for additional studies to reveal the genotoxic properties of this pyrethroid. The observations also point at the importance of using caution when considering the use of phenothrin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 9, Debrecen H-4012, Hungary.
authors.forename: Károly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 9, Debrecen H-4012, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rácz
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 9, Debrecen H-4012, Hungary.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 9, Debrecen H-4012, Hungary.
authors.forename: Róza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ádány
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 9, Debrecen H-4012, Hungary; Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: badam@uaeu.ac.ae.
authors.forename: Balázs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ádám
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D043382:DNA-Formamidopyrimidine Glycosylase / Q000737:chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D011722:Pyrethrins; C006166:phenothrin; D043382:DNA-Formamidopyrimidine Glycosylase
keywords: Comet assay; DNA damage; Phenothrin; Pyrethroid; Sumithrin