Abstract
Neonicotinoids (NNs) are potent agonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, exerting insecticidal effects by causing abnormal excitation of the nervous system. In recent years, concerns have risen regarding the effects of NNs on mammals, including humans. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), which shares a high percentage of gene homology with humans, has been widely used as a model organism for toxicity assessment. In this study, we aimed to identify the common toxicity of NNs through omics analysis, combining RNA sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics, using C. elegans as a model organism. L1 larvae were exposed to 100 μM acetamiprid (ACE) and clothianidin (CTD) for 24 h, and larval RNA was analyzed using next generation sequencing. For nontargeted metabolomics, larval metabolites were analyzed using LC-Q-TOF/MS. The numbers of significantly altered genes and metabolites were higher in the ACE-exposed group compared to the CTD-exposed group. These findings are consistent with our previously reported bioassay for C. elegans, which demonstrated greater effects in the ACE-exposed group than in the CTD-exposed group. In addition, the metabolomic results showed significantly increased expression of glutathione-related genes and metabolites in both ACE- and CTD-exposed groups, suggesting that oxidative stress is a common toxic effect of NNs. This study demonstrates the utility of C. elegans as a model for comprehensive toxicity assessment.
