Potential Contribution of Exposure to Insecticide Used in Nigeria to the Development of Dyslipidaemia and Hormonal Disorder in Male and Female Albino Wistar Rats

Background: Raid is a routine liquid insecticide used frequently in the domestic homes to keep away mosquitoes from biting its human prey. The application of insecticide is not usually guided in most homes. This may portend some danger to the lipid and reproductive health of man. The study aims to evaluate the effect of the routine household insecticide used in Nigeria on the Lipids and reproductive hormones in male and female albino Wistar rat.

Methodology: Forty apparently healthy Wistar albino rats comprising 20 males and 20 females’ rats were grouped in to 5 with an average weight of 110 ± 20g were exposed once a day to the fume of aqueous solution of Raid in an air tight exposure chamber for 28days. Control Wista albino were kept under normal sterile environment in the animal house devoid of insecticide pollution for 28days. The animals were fed with standard feed and water. Blood specimens were harvested through cardiac puncture after overnight fast and 28 days exposure.

Triglyceride, Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL cholesterol, LH, FSH, Estrogen., Progesterone and testosterone were evaluated at the end of exposure period using a reference method.

Results: Exposure to the domestic insecticide significantly induced weight loss indicated by marked decrease in weight of both the exposed and un -exposes groups. The pyrenoid of the insecticide have no significant effect on the lipid profile indices of the exposed Wistar albino rats. Similarly, exposure of the rats to the insecticide had no significant effect on the FSH and progesterone levels. However, the LH, Oestrogen and β- HCG were significantly altered among the female experimental animals. LH only was significantly raised among the male albino rats exposed to the insecticide.

Conclusion: Acute exposure to domestic insecticide has no significant effect on the lipid profile, but alters the concentrations of LH and β- hCG hormones in the albino Wistar rats.