Methodology to Detect the Abnormality of Drosophila Gut by Various Staining Techniques

The gastrointestinal tract or gut is a vital organ of the body that not only mediates digestion but also senses to modulate nutrient storage as well as food intake. Gut also serves as the first line of defence against a variety of pathogens. Thus, the gut abnormality should be investigated carefully to understand the harmful effects of any potential toxicant exposed to the body via the oral route. The gut of Drosophila melanogaster, a well-known model organism, possesses striking similarities with that of humans, thereby modeled to check the toxic effect of nanoparticles or pathogens taken through oral route. Oral intake of nanoparticles in Drosophila resulted in the formation of micronuclei, alters arrangement of gut cells, induces cell death and generates ROS. In order to study the gut abnormalities in Drosophila, various staining procedures are used. The present chapter briefly describes a detailed staining methodology to detect gut abnormality and localization of trace elements like iron and copper within the gut.