Chronic low level metribuzin exposure induces metabolic alterations in rats

•Chronic metribuzin exposure through diet induced rat undernutrition.•Chronic metribuzin exposure has adverse effects on rat organ functions even at low doses.•Metribuzin resulted in increased oxidative stress leading to physiological impairment in rat organs.•The nutritional management appears of the first importance in chronic metribuzin exposure at low doses.

In this work we evaluated the in vivo effects of chronic metribuzin exposure at doses that mimic human exposure through diet. Male and female rats were fed a potato diet containing metribuzin at low doses (D1, 1.3 mg/kg or D2, 13 mg/kg) for 3 months. Plasma biochemical parameters (glucose, lipid, urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)), as well as lipid and protein contents, markers of oxidative stress in different organs (liver, adipose tissue, muscle, intestine) were determined.Our results showed that exposure to metribuzin induced a significant reduction in body weight, food intake and adverse alterations in biochemical parameters such as an increase in plasma glucose, triglyceride, urea, creatinine, ALT and AST levels. Total protein and lipid contents of organs were also altered with a concomitant presence of oxidative stress.In conclusion, chronic metribuzin exposure is associated to underfeeding and has adverse effects on organ functions leading to physiological impairment even at low concentrations. The nutritional management appears of the first importance.

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