Epidemiological relationships between pesticide use and male infertility have been suggested for a long time. Etoxazole (ETX), an oxazoline pesticide, has been extensively used for pest eradication. It is considered relatively safe and has low mammalian toxicity because it specifically inhibits chitin synthesis. However, ETX may have toxic effects on the reproductive system. In this study, we examined the effects of ETX on the reproductive system using mouse testis cell lines (TM3 for Leydig cells and TM4 for Sertoli cells) and C57BL/6 male mice. We confirmed that ETX has anti-proliferative effects on the TM3 and TM4 cell lines. Moreover, ETX induced mitochondrial dysfunction and hampers calcium homeostasis. Western blot analysis of MAPK and Akt signaling cascades was performed to demonstrate the mode of action of ETX at a molecular level. Moreover, ETX induced misregulation of genes related to testicular function. Upon oral administration of ETX in C57BL/6 male mice, testis weight was reduced and transcriptional expression related to testis function was altered. These results indicate that ETX induces testicular toxicity by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and calcium imbalance and regulating gene expression.

Etoxazole is an organofluorine insecticide widely used in agriculture. Exposure to insecticides is a serious environmental problem owing to their cytotoxic effects in humans and animals. Reproductive toxicity of various organofluorine insecticides have been shown in previous studies. However, few studies have evaluated the toxicity of etoxazole in mammals. We aimed to examine the toxic effects of etoxazole in porcine trophectoderm (pTr) and uterine luminal epithelial (pLE) cells. To estimate the effects of etoxazole, we conducted assays after treatment with multiple concentration of etoxazole (0, 2, 4, 6 and 9 μM) to pTr and pLE cells for 0–72 h. Etoxazole decreased the cell proliferation, viability, and migration of pTr and pLE cells. Further, etoxazole induced apoptosis via cell cycle arrest and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. We also found that pro-apoptotic proteins and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-response proteins were activated in response to etoxazole. Finally, we observed that etoxazole altered the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways and the mRNA expression of genes associated with implantation. Collectively, these results suggest that etoxazole disrupts normal cellular physiology and might cause early implantation failure.

The stereoselective cytotoxicity of new chiral acaricide etoxazole and its dissipation in citrus and soil were investigated for the first time. Enantioselective toxicity and oxidative stress of etoxazole toward MCF-7 cells was conducted. The phenomenon of dose- and form-dependent cytotoxicity was demonstrated by MTT and LDH assays, ROS generation, and SOD and CAT activity alternation. Cytotoxicity ranks were found to be consistent with oxidative damage as (R)- > Rac- > (S)-etoxazole. Moreover, the results of enantioselective degradation showed that (S)-etoxazole degraded faster than its antipode (R)-etoxazole. The gradual raise of EF values indicated the achievement of enantioselective degradation in citrus and soil, leaving the enrichment of (R)-etoxazole isomer. Significant differences of environmental behavior and cytotoxicity of etoxazole enantiomers were found in this study which provided valuable insight into the mechanism of potential toxicity and warranted more careful assessment of this pesticide before its agricultural application.

Pesticides are used to protect crops and to eliminate pests, though non-target organisms such as mammals are also affected from their usage. Etoxazole (organoflourine pesticide) is an acaricide used to combat spider mites which are the parasites of various crops. The present study aims to investigate the effects of etoxazole on the level of MDA (malondialdehyde) and activities of CAT (catalase), GPx (glutathione peroxidase), and AChE (acetylcholinesterase) in liver and kidney tissues of Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus var. albinos). Rats received etoxazole intraperitoneally with doses of 2.2, 11, and 22 mg/kg b.w./day for 21 days. Control rats received the same volume of the serum physiologic. Following etoxazole exposures, activities of CAT, GPx, and AChE in the liver and kidney of rats significantly decreased at all doses compared to control group. Oppositely, MDA levels in these tissues increased significantly at all doses following etoxazole exposures. The present study demonstrated that etoxazole, at all doses, had toxic effects in the liver and kidney parameters, suggesting their possible use as effective biomarkers in determining the toxic effects of etoxazole. This may suggest that these biomarkers could also be used as a tool to monitor pesticide-affected areas before severe toxic effects begin in non-target animals and humans.