Deltamethrin as inductor agent of precocious ovarian degeneration in Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks

Abstract

The cosmopolitan species Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. is one of the most widely distributed ticks all over the world. These ectoparasites are vectors of several pathogens and cause significant direct damage to their hosts. The biological success of these ectoparasites has been attributed to their ovaries and salivary glands, organs that ensure their survival in various environmental conditions. The importance of the ovaries in ticks is that, after mating, the individuals are able to lay approximately three thousand eggs. The present study had the objective to demonstrate the effects of deltamethrin obtained from the product Butox P CE 25® (MSD Saúde Animal, São Paulo, Brazil) on the ovarian development of R. sanguineus s.l. females. The chemical was tested in the concentrations of 25, 50, 100 and 200 ppm (respectively 80, 40, 20 and 10 times lower than the recommended by the manufacturer). Through the application of histological techniques and HE staining, the results showed that the deltamethrin was potentially able to modify the morphophysiology of the oocytes in all developmental stages, interfering in the vitellogenesis, causing intense vacuolation, cytoplasmic disorganization, and alterations in the chorion secretion. In addition, the chemical affected the germ vesicle of some oocytes, causing damages and hypertrophy, fragmenting the chromatin and forming bodies strongly stained by hematoxylin. Therefore, this study confirmed that the deltamethrin had an important action on the reproductive system of the R. sanguineus s.l. females, causing the precocious structural disorganization of the germ cells, consequently preventing the generation of new individuals.