Antigonadal and endocrine-disrupting activities of lambda cyhalothrin in female rats and its attenuation by taurine.

Lambda cyhalothrin (LCT) is a type II pyrethroid with a wide range of agricultural, industrial, and household uses. Taurine is a nonprotein sulfur containing amino acid as well as a well-known antioxidant and has valuable clinical applications in the detoxification of xenobiotics. The present study evaluated the effect of LCT on the reproductive and endocrine systems of female rats and determined whether taurine might alter these effects. Sexually mature female rats were administered LCT at two different dosages (6.3 mg/kg BW and 11.33 mg/kg BW) once daily by oral gavage for 14 consecutive days with the pretreatment of taurine (50 mg kg-1 BW). LCT treatment resulted in diminished adrenal cholesterol, ovarian 3β- and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) activity with increased ovarian cholesterol, adrenal 3β- and 17β-HSD activity. Furthermore, protein and mRNA expressions of ovarian 17β-HSD and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein were also decreased. Hormonal imbalance was evident by concurrent reduction in the gonadotropic hormone, estradiol, and progesterone levels in LCT-treated rats. These rats also demonstrated the histopathological evidence of degenerative changes in the ovaries. Pretreatment of taurine attenuated the LCT-induced changes.