Dichlorvos is a common crop
insecticide widely used by people which causes extensive and serious environmental pollution. However, it has been shown that
organophosphorus poisoning causes energy metabolism and neural disorders. The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the damage to brain tissue and the changes in AMPK signaling pathway-related gene expression after
dichlorvos poisoning in chickens. White-feathered broiler chickens, as the research subjects of this experiment, were divided into three groups: control group, low-dose group (77.5%
dichlorvos at 1.13 mg/kg dose) and high-dose group (77.5%
dichlorvos at 10.2 mg/kg dose). Clinical symptoms were observed after modeling, and an integrative analysis was conducted using HE staining microscopy, immune-histochemical microscopy, electron microscopy and PCR arrays. The results showed that the high-dose group had more obvious
dyspnea, salivation, convulsion and other neurological phenomena. Pathological sections showed that nuclear disintegration of neurons was most obvious in the low-dose group, and apoptosis of brain cells was most obvious in the high-dose group, and the mitochondrial structure was destroyed in the two poisoned group, i.e. low-dose group and high-dose group. PCR arrays showed that AMPK signaling pathway was inhibited and the expressions of genes involved in energy metabolism (ACACA and PRKAA1) were significantly changed. Furthermore, genes associated with
protein synthesis (EIF4EBP1) were significantly upregulated. FASN and HMGCR expressions were significantly increased. There were significant changes in the expressions of cell cycle-related genes (STK11, TP53 and FOXO3).
Organophosphate poisoning can cause a lot of nuclear disintegration of brain neurons, increases cell apoptosis, disrupts the energy metabolism of mitochondrial structure, and inhibits the AMPK signaling pathway. These results provide a certain idea and basis for studying the mechanism of AMPK signaling after
organophosphorus poisoning and provide a research basis for the prevention and treatment of
organophosphorus poisoning.