Effects of methyl parathion on Chasmagnathus granulatus hepatopancreas: protective role of sesamol.

The protective role of sesamol, an inhibitor of the mixed function oxygenase (MFO) system, against histopathological effects of methyl parathion in the hepatopancreas of the estuarine crab, Chasmagnathus granulatus, was studied. Exposure (72 h) to a sublethal dose (0.05 mg/kg/day; 10% of 72 h-LD50) of injected methyl parathion increased the percentage of damaged hepatopancreatic tubules. Presence of melanin-like deposits in the connective tissue between hepatopancreatic tubules was also observed. Antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase and glutathione S-transferase) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were also increased in hepatopancreas of crabs injected with methyl parathion. Pretreatment with sesamol (0.85 mg/kg/day) significantly protected against all these effects. These findings suggest that the hepatopancreatic damages induced by methyl parathion are due to LPO of hepatopancreatocytes membranes, as a consequence of the oxidative stress generated after methyl parathion oxidative biotransformation mediated by the MFO system.