PUBLICATION
Effects of Low Concentrations of Arsenic on the Innate Immune System of the Zebrafish (Danio Rerio)
- Authors
- Nayak, A.S., Lage, C.R., and Kim, C.H.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-070409-12
- Date
- 2007
- Source
- Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology 98(1): 118-124 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Kim, Carol H.
- Keywords
- Arsenic, Zebrafish, Innate Immunity, Cytokines, Snakehead Rhabdovirus, Edwardsiella tarda
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Arsenic/toxicity*
- Blood Bactericidal Activity/drug effects
- Colony-Forming Units Assay
- Cytokines/biosynthesis
- DNA, Complementary/biosynthesis
- Immunity, Innate/drug effects*
- RNA/biosynthesis
- RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis
- Respiratory Burst/drug effects
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/biosynthesis
- Zebrafish/immunology*
- PubMed
- 17400579 Full text @ Toxicol. Sci.
- CTD
- 17400579
Citation
Nayak, A.S., Lage, C.R., and Kim, C.H. (2007) Effects of Low Concentrations of Arsenic on the Innate Immune System of the Zebrafish (Danio Rerio). Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology. 98(1):118-124.
Abstract
Arsenic has been associated with a multitude of human health problems, however, its impact on host resistance to infection has not been extensively researched. In vertebrates, the innate immune response is vital for potentiating the adaptive immune response. Therefore, dampening of the innate immune response results in an immunocompromised host. In this present study, effects of low concentrations of arsenic on zebrafish resistance to infection are evaluated. Exposure to 2 ppb and 10 ppb arsenic, both considered safe levels in drinking water, resulted in a greater than 50-fold increase in viral load, and at least a 17-fold increase in bacterial load in embryos. To determine the cause of this amplified pathogen load, important components of the innate immune system were analyzed. Presence of arsenic dampened the overall innate immune health of the fish as evidenced by reductions in respiratory burst activity. Viral infection, after arsenic exposure, showed decreases of up to 13- and 1.5-fold changes in interferon and Mx mRNA expression, respectively. Bacterial infection, post arsenic exposure, demonstrated at least 2.5- and 4-fold declines in IL-1beta and TNF-alpha mRNA levels, respectively. Maximum expression of these essential cytokines was also delayed upon arsenic exposure. Our data indicate that arsenic exposure, at concentrations deemed safe in drinking water, suppresses the overall innate immune function in zebrafish, and present the zebrafish as a unique model for studying immunotoxicity of environmental toxicants. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the effects of such low levels of arsenic on host resistance to infection.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping