Effects of antidepressants with different modes of action on early life stages of fish and amphibians

Abstract

Drugs are excreted from the human body as both original substances and as metabolites and enter aquatic environment through waste water. The aim of this study was to widen the current knowledge considering the effects of waterborne antidepressants with different modes of action-amitriptyline, venlafaxine, sertraline-on embryos of non-target aquatic biota-fish (represented by Danio rerio) and amphibians (represented by Xenopus tropicalis). The tested concentrations were 0.3; 3; 30; 300 and 3000 mu g/L. in case of amitriptyline and venlafaxine and 0.1; 1; 10; 100 and 1000 mu g/L for sertraline. Test on zebrafish embryos was carried out until 144 h post fertilization, while test on Xenopus embryos was terminated after 48 h. Lethal and sublethal effects as well as swimming alterations were observed at higher tested concentrations that are not present in the environment. In contrast, mRNA expression of genes related to heart, eye, brain and bone development (nkx2.5, otx 2, bmp4 and pax 6) seems to be impacted also at environmentally relevant concentrations. In a wider context, this study reveals several indications on the ability of antidepressants to affect non target animals occupying environments which may be contaminated by such compounds. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Danio rerio; Xenopus tropicalis; Amitriptyline; Venlafaxine; Sertraline

Published in

Environmental Pollution
2019, volume: 254, number: Part A, article number: 112999

SLU Authors

• Sehonova, Pavla

  • University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno

• Örn, Stefan

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Carlsson, Gunnar

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Global goals (SDG)

SDG6 Clean water and sanitation
SDG14 Life below water

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.112999

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/101235