Agricultural and Biological Research

Glyphosate-induced oxidative stress, genotoxic effect and differential expression of p53, Bax and Bcl2 in different mice tissues

Vilmair Zancanaro, Emyr Hiago Bellaver, César Milton Baratto and Claudriana Locatelli*

Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in Brazil and worldwide for controlling weeds in various agricultural crops, which raises concern on possible environmental impacts and human health. The present study aimed at assessing the induction of mutagenic changes and oxidative stress in different tissues of animals exposed to glyphosate and Trop®. Male Swiss mice were submitted to gavage treatment with glyphosate and Trop® at the concentrations of 50 and 200 mg/kg for 5 days. After the treatments the animals were euthanized and their bone marrow, liver, lung, and kidney were collected. The bone marrow was used for micronucleus. The liver, lung and kidney were submitted to biochemical analyzes of Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS), catalase enzyme, total antioxidant, in addition to evaluating the expression of Bax, Bcl2 and p53 proteins, as well as the expression of p53 gene transcription. The animals were weighed before and after the treatments. The results showed a significant weight reduction in the animals treated for 5 days. The occurrence of micronuclei was significant in the bone marrow. A significant increase in lipid peroxidation, besides changes in both, the catalase enzyme and total antioxidant levels were seen in all tissues. There was a decrease in p53 gene and Bax protein expression, and an increase of the Bcl2 protein expression. These results might suggest that the exposure to glyphosate and the consumption of antioxidant defenses can cause oxidative stress. In addition, changes in cellular biomarkers regarding glyphosate and Trop® were similar.