DNA Damage Detection After Pesticide Exposure

Thiacloprid is an insecticide of the neonicotinoid family that acts on the insect’s nAChR receptor and causes its paralysis and subsequent death. The genotoxicity of the insecticide Calypso® 480 SC (with the active substance thiacloprid) to human peripheral lymphocytes was examined in vitro by comet analysis and phosphorylated H2AX, where we detected DNA breaks. To detect DNA damage in comet analysis, we used thiacloprid-based insecticide in three different concentrations (60, 240, and 480 μg.ml−1) during 2 h of exposure. We recorded a statistically significant percentage of damage at a concentration of 240 and 480 μg.ml−1. We monitored the toxicity of thiacloprid using yH2AX foci, and we did not observe a statistically significant number of foci compared to the negative control.