Impact of Permethrin Exposure on TGF-α, TGF-β, EGFR, and TGFBR1 Levels in Rats

Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid widely used in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and public health, and its environmental persistence raises concerns regarding its potential toxicity in mammals. Transforming growth factors (TGF-α, TGF-β) and their receptors (EGFR, TGFBR1) are key regulators of cellular proliferation, differentiation, and immune responses; however, the effects of permethrin on these parameters remain insufficiently characterized in the literature. The present study evaluated the effects of acute (4 days) and subchronic (21 days) intraperitoneal permethrin exposure (75 and 150 mg/kg) on serum TGF-α and TGF-β levels, as well as EGFR and TGFBR1 levels in colon tissue supernatants in rats. Wistar rats were assigned to control, vehicle, and permethrin-treated groups. Biochemical parameters were quantified using ELISA and were statistically compared among groups. Permethrin exposure resulted in a significant decrease in serum TGF-α levels, whereas TGF-β levels were significantly increased. Following subchronic exposure, EGFR levels were elevated at both doses, while TGFBR1 levels were significantly reduced at 150 mg/kg (p<0.05). These findings suggest that permethrin may disrupt immune-related signaling pathways and suggest that these biomarkers may be useful indicators in environmental toxicity assessment.