Protective Effect of Resveratrol in Imidacloprid Induced Subacute Neurotoxicity in Male Rats

Imidacloprid is one of the most important neonicotinoid insecticides known to target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in insects and possibly in mammals. Present study was undertaken to ascertain the effects of subacute toxicity of imidacloprid on brain and its possible amelioration by resveratrol in male Wistar rats. Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of imidacloprid in male Wistar rats was 1850 mg/kg b.wt. by oral route. Rats were randomly allocated into six groups (n = 6 rats /each group). Group 1 was naïve. The treatment groups were as follows: group 2 -resveratrol (2 mg/kg b.wt.), group 3 -imidacloprid at 185 mg/kg (MTD/10), group 4 -imidacloprid at 92.5 mg/kg (MTD/20) and in group 5 and 6, resveratrol co-treatment (2 mg/kg b.wt.) was given in the animals treated with imidacloprid at 185 mg/kg (MTD/ 10) and imidacloprid at 92.5 mg/kg (MTD/20), respectively. Imidacloprid and resveratrol were administered orally by gavage once daily for 14 days to 6 rats and for 28 days to remaining 12 rats. After the completion of trials, all animals were sacrificed and brain was collected. The results were analyzed using ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison post-hoc test. In 28 days, study, imidacloprid exposure produced significant changes in oxidative stress markers viz. Malonaldiadehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl, myeloperoxidase (MPO), catalase, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) which were restored towards normalcy by resveratrol co-treatment. Histopathological findings revealed that imidacloprid treatment resulted in congestion and gliosis in brain which were attenuated by resveratrol co-treatment. The study revealed that imidacloprid possesses mild to moderate neurotoxic potential in male Wistar rats. Resveratrol possesses potential to ameliorate the toxicity produced by imidacloprid.