Wild roof rats (Rattus rattus) live in proximity to human habitats, and they may carry numerous pathogens of infectious diseases. Pest control is important for public health, and warfarin is a commonly used rodenticide worldwide. However, continual use of warfarin may cause drug resistance in rodents and lead to failure of their control, especially in urbanized areas. In warfarin-resistant rats, the warfarin level in plasma was significantly lower after oral administration than that in the control warfarin-sensitive rats. Warfarin is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (P450), and hydroxylation of warfarin by P450 isoforms was significantly higher in warfarin-resistant rats (2-fold). Western blot analysis indicated that the level of CYP3A2 expression in warfarin-resistant rats was significantly larger than in warfarin-sensitive rats. The NADPH-P450 reductase activities in resistant rats were 8-fold higher than those in sensitive rats. In vivo, the administration of the P450 potent inhibitor proadifen (SKF-525A) increased the mortality of warfarin in the warfarin-resistant roof rats. We concluded that the mechanism of warfarin resistance in Tokyo roof rats is caused by increased clearance of warfarin.
Warfarin is commonly used worldwide as a rodenticide. It inhibits coagulation of blood by inhibiting vitamin K 2,3-epoxide reductase (VKOR) activity. An inadequate supply of vitamin K blocks the production of prothrombin and causes hemorrhage. It has been reported that repeated or long-term treatments with this drug cause resistance in wild rodents. However, the mechanism of warfarin resistance in rodents is still not known precisely. Recent studies reported and identified the function of the molecule, vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1), which is the main unit of VKOR. An amino acid substitution in VKORC1 is one of the supposed mechanisms of warfarin resistance. An accelerated detoxification system involving cytochrome P450 (CYP) could also cause the rodenticide resistance. Administration of SKF-525A, a potent inhibitor for P450, increased the mortality due to reduction of warfarin metabolism in warfarin-resistant rats. Meanwhile, the appearance of warfarin-resistant rodents has led to the development of the more effective and toxic rodenticide superwarfarin, which is widely used in Europe and the USA. However, animals resistant to this second-generation rodenticide have already been reported in Europe. In this review, we focus on the mechanism and the pleiotropic effects of pesticide resistance in wild rodents.
Fe–N–C single atom catalysts (SACs) utilize active oxygen from the oxygen evolution reaction for efficient methane-to-ethanol conversion, achieving an ethanol production rate of 11 480.6 μmol g cat −1 h −1 in flow cell reactions.
Furazolidone (FZ), one of the nitrofuran fungicides, is used as a veterinary medicine in the Middle and Far Eastern countries. In this study, FZ (125 mg/kg) was administered orally to Wistar rats for 3 days. Results of the Ames test using the S-9 fraction of rats treated with FZ showed a significant increase in the number of revertant colonies. Western blot analysis of hepatic CYP isozymes induced by FZ, revealed a remarkable induction of CYP1A1 apoprotein, but CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 apoproteins were not altered. In addition, the expression of CYP1A1 mRNA level in rats treated with FZ by RT-PCR was significantly enhanced by FZ treatment. We concluded that FZ is apparently mutagenic and induces transcription of the CYP1A1 isozyme, which metabolically activates numerous promutagens, in hepatocytes.