Assessment of the adverse effects of the acaricide Amitraz: in vitro evaluation of genotoxicity

PADULA G; PONZINIBBIO M V; PICCO S J; SEOANE A I

TOXICOLOGY MECHANISMS AND METHODS

TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2011

1537-6524

Amitraz is a formamidine widely used as a veterinary medicine for the treatment of ectoparasites. It is a highly liposoluble compound that is quickly absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes, thus making exposure potentially dangerous for humans and animals. In this work, the genotoxic potential of amitraz has been investigated in vitro in hamster cells. The induction of primary DNA damage was evaluated by alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) and the apoptosis ability was examined by the Annexin V /PI staining assay. The commercial formulation significantly increased the index damage at 2.50-3.75 µg/ml concentrations compared to their control. Active constituent only induced significant DNA damage with the highest concentration (3.75 µg/ml). Even both tested products increased the frequency of cell death, none of them induced significant differences. Genotoxic potential is a primary risk factor for long-term effects such as carcinogenic and reproductive toxicology. Results presented here highlight the need for further investigation of the potential health risk of this veterinay medicine.