Exposing the Airway Surface to the Neonicotinoid Clothianidin Alters the Electrophysiological Properties of Human Airway Epithelia

Darrin A. Thompson; Vivek Kumar Srivastava; Lucy A. Siwicki; Andrea Adamcakova-Dodd; Emma M. Stapleton; Ian M. Thornell

doi:10.1021/acsomega.5c09156

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Exposing the Airway Surface to the Neonicotinoid Clothianidin Alters the Electrophysiological Properties of Human Airway Epithelia

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Exposing the Airway Surface to the Neonicotinoid Clothianidin Alters the Electrophysiological Properties of Human Airway Epithelia

Darrin A. Thompson, Vivek Kumar Srivastava, Lucy A. Siwicki, Andrea Adamcakova-Dodd, Emma M. Stapleton and Ian M. Thornell

ACS omega, Vol.11(3), pp.4226-4231

01/27/2026

DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c09156

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Abstract

The neonicotinoid clothianidin is used indoors and outdoors as an insecticide and extensively as a seed coating in agriculture where working solutions are prepared at 4000 ppm. Health effects of clothianidin are often studied under the assumption that ingestion is the exposure route, yet inhalation exposures are likely, given that clothianidin is sprayed and dust is resuspended. We studied the effect of airway exposure to clothianidin using human donor epithelia. Acute clothianidin doses greater than 50 ppm applied to the apical (airway-facing) surface resulted in decreased ion transport properties, specifically, decreased activity of the surface sodium channel, ENaC. During a 6 h 500 ppm clothianidin exposure, the permeability of airway epithelia to clothianidin rose from ∼4.2 × 10–6 to ∼13.5 × 10–6 cm·s–1 without an increase in cell death, indicating a loss of barrier integrity. Respiratory precautions should be considered for those in proximity to aerosol-generating clothianidin application.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Exposing the Airway Surface to the Neonicotinoid Clothianidin Alters the Electrophysiological Properties of Human Airway Epithelia
Creators: Darrin A. Thompson - University of Iowa
Vivek Kumar Srivastava - University of Iowa
Lucy A. Siwicki - University of Iowa
Andrea Adamcakova-Dodd
Emma M. Stapleton - University of Iowa
Ian M. Thornell - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: ACS omega, Vol.11(3), pp.4226-4231
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c09156
ISSN: 2470-1343
eISSN: 2470-1343
Publisher: American Chemical Society
Grant note: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: P30 ES005605 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: HL173260
L.A.S. was a student through the University of Iowa Office of Undergraduate Research. We would like to acknowledge the support of the University of Iowa In Vitro Models and Cell Culture Core. EMT has funding through the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center (NIEHS/NIH P30 ES005605). IMT has funding through the NIH (HL173260). The Table of Contents graphic was created with BioRender.com.
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 01/15/2026
Date published: 01/27/2026
Academic Unit: Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine; Occupational and Environmental Health; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9985130240502771

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