PUBLICATION

Warfarin-exposed zebrafish embryos resembles human warfarin embryopathy in a dose and developmental-time dependent manner - From molecular mechanisms to environmental concerns

Authors
Granadeiro, L., Dirks, R.P., Ortiz-Delgado, J.B., Gavaia, P.J., Sarasquete, C., Laizé, V., Cancela, M.L., Fernández, I.
ID
ZDB-PUB-190627-13
Date
2019
Source
Ecotoxicology and environmental safety   181: 559-571 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Cancela, Leonor
Keywords
Anticoagulant, Pest control, Transcriptome, Warfarin embryopathy, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Abnormalities, Drug-Induced/genetics
  • Abnormalities, Drug-Induced/metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Anticoagulants/toxicity*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
  • Humans
  • Nasal Bone/abnormalities*
  • Nasal Bone/metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress/drug effects
  • Rodenticides/toxicity*
  • Transcriptome
  • Warfarin/adverse effects*
  • Warfarin/metabolism
  • Warfarin/toxicity*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity*
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
PubMed
31238190 Full text @ Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.
CTD
31238190
Abstract
Warfarin is the most worldwide used anticoagulant drug and rodenticide. Since it crosses placental barrier it can induce warfarin embryopathy (WE), a fetal mortality in neonates characterized by skeletal deformities in addition to brain hemorrhages. Although the effects of warfarin exposure in aquatic off target species were already described, the particular molecular toxicological mechanisms during early development are still unclear. Here, we used zebrafish (Danio rerio) to describe and compare the developmental effects of warfarin exposure (0, 15.13, 75.68 and 378.43 mM) on two distinct early developmental phases (embryos and eleuthero-embryos). Although exposure to both developmental phases induced fish mortality, only embryos exposed to the highest warfarin level exhibited features mimicking mammalian WE, e.g. high mortality, higher incidence of hemorrhages and altered skeletal development, among other effects. To gain insights into the toxic mechanisms underlying warfarin exposure, the transcriptome of embryos exposed to warfarin was explored through RNA-Seq and compared to that of control embryos. 766 differentially expressed (564 up- and 202 down-regulated) genes were identified. Gene Ontology analysis revealed particular cellular components (cytoplasm, extracellular matrix, lysosome and vacuole), biological processes (mainly amino acid and lipid metabolism and response to stimulus) and pathways (oxidative stress response and apoptosis signaling pathways) being significantly overrepresented in zebrafish embryos upon warfarin exposure. Protein-protein interaction further evidenced an altered redox system, blood coagulation and vasculogenesis, visual phototransduction and collagen formation upon warfarin exposure. The present study not only describes for the first time the WE in zebrafish, it provides new insights for a better risk assessment, and highlights the need for programming the rat eradication actions outside the fish spawning season to avoid an impact on off target fish community. The urge for the development of more species-specific anticoagulants for rodent pest control is also highlighted.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping