Insect in vitro System for Toxicology Studies - Current and Future Perspectives.

In vitro cell culture practices are valuable techniques to understand the mechanisms behind vital in vivo biological processes. In vitro cells have helped us to attain a deeper understanding of functions and mechanisms conserved in the course of evolution. Toxicology studies are inevitable in drug discovery, pesticide development, and many other fields that directly interact with human beings. The proper involvement and regulatory steps that have been taken by animal ethical societies in different parts of the world resulted in the reduced in vivo use of mammals in toxicological studies. Nevertheless, experimental animals are being killed where no replacement is available. The use of mammals could be reduced by using the in vitro systems. Nowadays, invertebrate cell lines are also play important role in toxicology testing. This review analyzes the cause and consequence of insect in vitro models in toxicology studies.

MoS2 nanoparticles induce behavioral alteration and oxidative stress mediated cellular toxicity in the social insect Oecophylla smaragdina (Asian weaver ant).

The study evaluates molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoparticles (NPs) induced oxidative stress during cellular toxicity in an invertebrate in vivo system, the weaver ant. The lethal concentration was checked and LC50 was obtained as 50 µg/mL. Feeding assay and the photoluminescence activity confirmed the ingestion of MoS2 NPs by the organism. Behavioral assays showed altered grooming behavior in the MoS2 NP fed ants. A drastic decrease in the hemocyte count in the MoS2 NP fed ants revealed the anti-proliferative role of MoS2. This was further confirmed by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling assay. MoS2 NPs induced apoptotic activity was also observed in the hemocytes by acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining. The level of oxidative stress during cellular toxicity was observed. An increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was observed in the MoS2 NP fed ants when compared to the control group. The increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the lipid peroxidation (LPO) product were observed. While, the activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and the glutathione content (GSH) were decreased by MoS2 NPs. The transcript levels of SODs, CAT and GST were up regulated in the treated group. Our results suggest that MoS2 NPs induced oxidative stress mediates the cellular toxicity in the foragers of the weaver ant.