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Novel insight into the mechanisms of neurotoxicity induced by type I and type II pyrethroids via disrupting the gut-brain axis in lizards

Novel insight into the mechanisms of neurotoxicity induced by type I and type II pyrethroids via disrupting the gut-brain axis in lizards
Novel insight into the mechanisms of neurotoxicity induced by type I and type II pyrethroids via disrupting the gut-brain axis in lizards

Type I and type II pyrethroids are widely used and frequently detected in agricultural environments. The neurotoxic effects and underlying mechanisms of pyrethroids in native animal populations, including lizards as common farmland inhabitants, remain unclear. This study exposed male lizards (Eremias argus) to type I bifenthrin (BF) and type II fluvalinate (FA) pyrethroids for 28 days, resulting in abnormal behaviors. Targeted analyses indicated that neurotransmitters, including dopamine, GABA, acetylcholine, and choline in lizard plasma, were significantly decreased with alterations in the cholinergic synapse, dopaminergic synapse, and cAMP signaling pathway in the brain after BF and FA treatment. Nervous system-related genes such as CACNA1A, CACNA1B, and CACNA1C were significantly down-regulated and highly correlated with arachidonic acid metabolism pathway-related metabolites in lizard gut. A notable decrease in metabolites within the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway and alterations in the gut microbiome were indicative for anti-inflammatory responses and neurotoxic effects. Interestingly, increased type I BF bioaccumulation in lizard intestines induced a higher abundance of Akkermansia, which resulted in reduced inflammation in the gut and lower neurotoxic effects compared to the low-dose BF exposure group. This study reveals contrasting dose-responses between pyrethroid types and suggests gut-brain axis-regulated neurotoxicity in lizards.

Gut-brain axis, Neurotoxicity, Neurotransmitter, Omics, Pyrethroids
0048-9697
Chang, Jing
66a573b3-0e8c-4f6d-aa90-49e592303986
Zhang, Leisen
29633cf9-d5ec-498e-8b0b-ee35aa8e804f
An, Qiong
462fab98-be91-49c0-a37c-22d35736cc9b
Ma, Zheng
4260cbad-0324-47f0-a001-cdccb3c017af
Xu, Peng
61e5fc33-657b-4c41-aa0a-0c619fe84d3e
Cernava, Tomislav
a13d65aa-2529-479a-ba90-69ebbc4ba07f
Jin, Decai
ff02123a-25a8-47c8-a84a-1a229daa6b85
Chang, Jing
66a573b3-0e8c-4f6d-aa90-49e592303986
Zhang, Leisen
29633cf9-d5ec-498e-8b0b-ee35aa8e804f
An, Qiong
462fab98-be91-49c0-a37c-22d35736cc9b
Ma, Zheng
4260cbad-0324-47f0-a001-cdccb3c017af
Xu, Peng
61e5fc33-657b-4c41-aa0a-0c619fe84d3e
Cernava, Tomislav
a13d65aa-2529-479a-ba90-69ebbc4ba07f
Jin, Decai
ff02123a-25a8-47c8-a84a-1a229daa6b85

Chang, Jing, Zhang, Leisen, An, Qiong, Ma, Zheng, Xu, Peng, Cernava, Tomislav and Jin, Decai (2025) Novel insight into the mechanisms of neurotoxicity induced by type I and type II pyrethroids via disrupting the gut-brain axis in lizards. Science of the Total Environment, 983, [179697]. (doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179697).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Type I and type II pyrethroids are widely used and frequently detected in agricultural environments. The neurotoxic effects and underlying mechanisms of pyrethroids in native animal populations, including lizards as common farmland inhabitants, remain unclear. This study exposed male lizards (Eremias argus) to type I bifenthrin (BF) and type II fluvalinate (FA) pyrethroids for 28 days, resulting in abnormal behaviors. Targeted analyses indicated that neurotransmitters, including dopamine, GABA, acetylcholine, and choline in lizard plasma, were significantly decreased with alterations in the cholinergic synapse, dopaminergic synapse, and cAMP signaling pathway in the brain after BF and FA treatment. Nervous system-related genes such as CACNA1A, CACNA1B, and CACNA1C were significantly down-regulated and highly correlated with arachidonic acid metabolism pathway-related metabolites in lizard gut. A notable decrease in metabolites within the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway and alterations in the gut microbiome were indicative for anti-inflammatory responses and neurotoxic effects. Interestingly, increased type I BF bioaccumulation in lizard intestines induced a higher abundance of Akkermansia, which resulted in reduced inflammation in the gut and lower neurotoxic effects compared to the low-dose BF exposure group. This study reveals contrasting dose-responses between pyrethroid types and suggests gut-brain axis-regulated neurotoxicity in lizards.

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Accepted/In Press date: 15 May 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 20 May 2025
Published date: 20 May 2025
Keywords: Gut-brain axis, Neurotoxicity, Neurotransmitter, Omics, Pyrethroids

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 503132
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503132
ISSN: 0048-9697
PURE UUID: 32b7cc43-9905-4396-b5e2-cf65e4ff2702
ORCID for Tomislav Cernava: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7772-4080

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Date deposited: 22 Jul 2025 16:44
Last modified: 23 Jul 2025 02:13

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Contributors

Author: Jing Chang
Author: Leisen Zhang
Author: Qiong An
Author: Zheng Ma
Author: Peng Xu
Author: Tomislav Cernava ORCID iD
Author: Decai Jin

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