Multi-level toxicity assessment of the antidepressant venlafaxine in embryos/ larvae and adults of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira, Ana Clara
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Fascineli, Maria Luiza, Oliveira, Paula Martins de, Gelfuso, Guilherme Martins, Villacis, Rolando André Rios, Grisolia, Cesar Koppe
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UnB
• Texto Completo: http://repositorio2.unb.br/jspui/handle/10482/48170; https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4685-GMB-2022-0377; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3851-2696; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4456-1577
• topic: Peixe-zebra; Venlafaxina; Biomarcadores; Genotoxicidade

The toxic effects of venlafaxine (VLX) on aquatic organisms have already been verified and therefore are a proven matter of concern. Herein, we evaluated zebrafish embryos/adults after acute exposure to VLX. Embryos/larvae were exposed to different concentrations of VLX (100-1000 mg/L; 1.33 as a dilution factor), to evaluate mortality/ developmental changes and to analyze biomarkers (0.002-100 mg/L). For adults, mortality, genotoxicity, and biomarkers were assessed in five different concentrations of VLX (1-100 mg/L). The median lethal concentration (LC50-168h) was 274.1 mg/L for embryos/larvae, and >100 mg/L for adults (LC50-96h). VLX decreased the heart rate frequency and caused premature hatching and lack of equilibrium in embryos/larvae exposed to different concentrations ranging from 100 to 562.5 mg/L. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was inhibited in larvae exposed to 1, 25 and 100 mg/L. Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity was reduced in both larvae and adults after exposure to different concentrations, mainly at 25 mg/L. For both larvae and adults, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity increased after 100 mg/L of VLX exposure. No DNA damage was observed in peripheral erythrocytes. Exposure to VLX may cause adverse effects on zebrafish in their early and adult life stages, interfering with embryo-larval development, and can induce physiological disturbances in adults.