Effect of combined exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides and azole antifungal agents on selected species of non-target organisms

The project aims to monitor the synergistic effects of combinations of selected neonicotinoid insecticides and triazole antifungals used in veterinary medicine on ruminant lymphocytes, cell cultures, bees and aquatic crustaceans. The genotoxic effect on ruminant lymphocytes will be monitored by induction of chromosomal aberrations, micronuclei and DNA breaks. The presence of DSB is considered to be the most serious DNA damage leading to genome instability and tumorigenesis. The experiments will be complemented by monitoring changes in the activity, expression and epigenetic mechanisms (methylation) of selected detoxification genes and AChE. The effect of this combination will be monitored in other cell cultures by evaluating changes in viability, cell cycle, induction of apoptosis and immunomodulatory effects. The toxicity assessment on bees and aquatic crustaceans will complement the set of experiments as they represent suitable models for the biomonitoring of environmental exposure to pesticides.