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Cytotoxic effects of permethrin in oocytes of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) fully engorged females: I. Direct or indirect action of the acaricide in germ cells?

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Abstract

Given the wide use of synthetic chemicals to control ticks, this study evaluated the effects of the permethrin pyrethroid on oocytes of Rhipicephalus sanguineus fully engorged females in order to examine whether this compound, in addition to the proven neurotoxic effect, also acts directly on germ cells. The results revealed that permethrin effectively inhibits and/or interrupts the reproductive process of R. sanguineus. Exposed oocytes exhibited prominent structural changes such as altered shape of cells and germ vesicle (oocyte nucleus), cytoplasmic vacuolation, and decrease of yolk granules. The composition of the latter, however, was not altered. These findings confirm those already reported by Roma et al. (Food Chem Toxicol 48:825–830, 2010) demonstrating that permethrin acts on germ cells of R. sanguineus via direct absorption from the hemolymph by pedicel cells, or by the oocyte plasmic membrane. On the other hand, these results contradict studies reporting that acaricides act exclusively on the nervous systems of ticks and that all the changes in other organs are a result from the indirect action of these chemical compounds, because blocking of the nervous system would compromise the normal metabolism of other organs (dependent on sensory information).

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Acknowledgments

Authors are grateful to the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo—FAPESP (Grant nos. 07/57809-5 and 07/59020-0) and to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—CNPq (Grant no. 308733/2006-1 and G.H. Bechara and M.I. Camargo Mathias academic carrier research fellowships) for the financial support and to Mr. Gérson de Mello Sousa for technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, UNESP, Avenida 24 A, 1515, CP 199, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil

    Gislaine Cristina Roma & Maria Izabel Camargo Mathias

  2. Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP, Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Castellane, s/n, Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brazil

    Karim Christina Scopinho Furquim & Gervásio Henrique Bechara

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  1. Gislaine Cristina Roma
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  2. Karim Christina Scopinho Furquim
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  3. Gervásio Henrique Bechara
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  4. Maria Izabel Camargo Mathias
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Correspondence to Maria Izabel Camargo Mathias.

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Roma, G.C., Furquim, K.C.S., Bechara, G.H. et al. Cytotoxic effects of permethrin in oocytes of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) fully engorged females: I. Direct or indirect action of the acaricide in germ cells?. Exp Appl Acarol 53, 287–299 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-010-9401-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-010-9401-9

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