PUBLICATION

Molecular and behavioral responses of zebrafish embryos/larvae after sertraline exposure

Authors

Yang, H., Liang, X., Zhao, Y., Gu, X., Mao, Z., Zeng, Q., Chen, H., Martyniuk, C.J.

ID

ZDB-PUB-210106-18

Date

2021

Source

Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 208: 111700 (Journal)

Registered Authors

Keywords

Accelerated hatching, Antidepressant drugs, Behavioral alterations, Serotonin signaling

MeSH Terms

Zebrafish/growth & development
Zebrafish/metabolism
Zebrafish/physiology*
Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity*
Antidepressive Agents/analysis
Antidepressive Agents/toxicity*
Behavior, Animal/drug effects*
Locomotion/drug effects
Signal Transduction/drug effects
Animals
Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects
Embryo, Nonmammalian/physiology
Sertraline/analysis
Sertraline/toxicity*
Serotonin/metabolism

(all 16)

PubMed

33396031 Full text @ Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.

Abstract

Sertraline (SER) is one of the most frequently detected antidepressant drugs in aquatic environments. However, knowledge regarding SER-induced behavioral alterations in fish is insufficient, as well as the mechanisms underlying SER-induced toxicity. The present study aimed to determine behavioral and molecular responses in larval fish following SER exposure with a focus on its mode of action. Zebrafish embryos (~6 h-post-fertilization, hpf) were exposed to one of three concentrations of SER (1, 10, 100 μg/L) for 6 days, respectively. Evaluated parameters included development, behavior, transcripts related to serotonin signaling, serotonin levels, and acetylcholinesterase activity. Accelerated hatching of zebrafish embryos was observed for those fish exposed to 100 μg/L SER at 54 hpf. Locomotor activity (e.g. distance moved and mobile cumulative duration) was significantly reduced in larval zebrafish following exposure to 10 and 100 μg/L SER. Conversely, larval fish showed increased dark-avoidance after exposure to 1-100 μg/L SER. Of the measured transcripts related to serotonin signaling, only serotonin transporter (serta) and serotonin receptor 2c (5-ht2c) mRNA levels were increased in fish in response to 10 μg/L SER treatment. However, serotonin levels were unaltered in larvae exposed to SER. There were no differences among groups in acetylcholinesterase activity at any concentration tested. Taking together, the results evidenced that exposure to SER alters behavioral responses in early-staged zebrafish, which may be related to the abnormal expression of 5-ht2c. This study elucidates molecular responses to SER and characterizes targets that may be sensitive to antidepressant pharmaceuticals in larval fish.

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