Oxidative stress, DNA damage, and gene expression in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) exposure to ethiprole.

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the potential ecotoxicity of ethiprole and early warning to earthworms (Eisenia fetida), different concentrations (0 mg·kg-1, 416 mg·kg-1, 625 mg·kg-1, and 1000 mg·kg-1) of ethiprole were added to artificial soil. The key bioindicators were measured and screened at 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, and 28 days. The results show that the activity of catalase (CAT) was inhibited for all treatments during the whole exposure period. Besides, the olive tail moment (OTM) value increased gradually as the concentration got higher, which exhibited a dose-time-dependent relationship. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene reached the maximum on the 7th day. Mitochondrial large ribosomal RNA (l-rRNA) subunit gene was always in a downregulated state as the concentration increased. Our results show that different concentrations of ethiprole induced certain oxidative stress, DNA damage, and genotoxicity in earthworms. The CAT activity, OTM, and SOD gene could be the most sensitive biomarkers to monitor the toxicity of ethiprole in the soil.