Detection of knockdown resistance mutations in Anopheles sacharovi (Diptera: Culicidae) and genetic distance with Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) using cDNA sequencing of the voltage-gated sodium channel gene

PubMedID: 12495185The knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (VGSCG), an important resistance mechanism against pyrethroids, was studied in Anopheles sacharovi Favre. It was found that the specific primers Agd1 and Agd2 used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of Anopheles gambiae Giles VGSCG also amplified this genomic region in An. sacharovi. Comparison of the IIs4-IIs6 domain segments of the gene indicated 70% nucleotides common to both species and a genetic distance of 0.255 between them. Four different samples of pyrethroid-resistant An. sacharovi produced three types of amino acid, serine (TCG), leucine (TTG), and phenylalanine (TTT) at the kdr mutation point, whereas only two kdr mutations, leucine to phenylalanine and leucine to serine, occur in An. gambiae

The sister-chromatid exchange and acetylcholine esterase enzyme levels among patients with insecticide intoxication in the Çukurova Region, Turkey

PubMedID: 16680189This study included 45 patients with intentional insecticide intoxication and 21 with accidental intoxication who were treated at the First-Aid and Emergency Department of Balcali Hospital at the Faculty of Medicine in the Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey, while the control group consisted of 25 people selected from university personnel known to be healthy. Patients with a history of X-ray exposure in the last 6 months or of any virus disease as well as continuous drug users and smokers were excluded, leaving a total of 49 patients. Acetylcholine esterase (Pseudocholinesterase) enzyme (AchE), sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE), the mitotic index (MI), and the replication index (RI) were evaluated. Blood samples were cultured for SCE evaluation and sera separated for AchE levels. Insecticide exposure was generally intentional for suicide in adolescents and at older ages, but accidental for children. AchE levels were found to be significantly lower in organophosphorus (OP) and carbamated (CB) insecticide poisoning groups in comparison with the control group (p0.05). SCE was found to be significantly higher in OP and CB groups (p0.05). This study showed an increase in SCE in response to orally ingested insecticides. These findings indicate that insecticide exposure results in cell abnormalities, with resulting impediments to the division and replication of cells, as suggested by MI decreases and RI increases, while the speed of the division cycles of stimulated cells increases. Copyright© 2006 by Okayama University Medical School