Development of Drosophila as a model for reproductive toxicity.
Development of
Drosophila based model useful for the assessment of endocrine disruption potential
of xenobiotics
Understanding the link between Diabetes and xenobiotics.
Summary of research
Development of Drosophila as a model for reproductive toxicity
Reproduction is fundamental to life and hence rapid decline in male fertility around the globe is of serious concern. Several studies attributed this decline to the exposure to environmental chemicals. In this era of industrialization, evaluation of umpteen numbers of chemicals for their potential to disrupt male reproduction is a challenging mission and accordingly requires quick and sensitive evaluation strategies. To date, mammalian models have been on the forefront of reproductive toxicity assessment for their extrapolation to humans; however, several issues limit their utility for high-throughput screening. It is pertinent to note that other in vivo models, apart from these, are relatively scarce. In this context, Drosophila with its well characterized male reproductive biology has the potential to facilitate quick reproductive toxicity screening, but this model remains underutilized. To address this issue, in the present study, we attempted to develop Drosophila based end points for reproductive toxicity assessment. Development of this system will help to provide a new, rapid, and economical Drosophila bioassay useful in the preliminary screening of chemicals for their potential to induce reproductive toxicity.
Understanding the link between Diabetes and xenobiotics
Diabetes is one of the prominent metabolic disorders in India. Approximately, 20% of the world diabetic cases are reported from India. Several studies have looked into the etiology and therapeutics of diabetes. However, the link between diabetes and xenobiotics remains neglected. In this age of industrialization and indiscriminate use of chemicals/pesticides, understanding the effects of xenobiotics on diabetes/diabetic individuals is essential. Therefore, we are employing transgenic Drosophila to provide insights to the effects of environmental chemicals under diabetic conditions and also help to understand the consequences of chemical exposure in a diabetic scenario with potential implications for the management of diabetes.