Prof. Xuchun Qiu Published article on Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology with the title of “Impacts of cetylpyridinium chloride on the behavior and brain neurotransmitter levels of juvenile and adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)”.
Abstract: Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is a cationic surfactant that has been widely used as an antibacterial ingredient in pharmaceutical and personal care products. Due to its high residue in surface waters, there is increasing concern over the potential risk of CPC to aquatic ecosystems. However, knowledge of its impacts on fish is still limited. Therefore, this study exposed juvenile and adult zebrafish to CPC (0, 10, and 40 μg/L) for four days. Subsequently, changes in their behavioral traits and brain levels of several neurotransmitters were investigated. The behavioral assay showed that CPC exposure significantly decreased the locomotor activity and social interaction of zebrafish at both life stages, and juveniles were more sensitive to CPC exposure than adults. In the control groups, the brain neurotransmitters concentrations increased with age in zebrafish. However, CPC exposure tended to increase the brain neurotransmitter levels of juveniles but decreased their levels in adults. Correlation analysis revealed that the brain monoamine neurotransmitters and their turnover might play important roles in the life stage-dependent behavioral response to CPC. In particular, the DOPAC/DA ratio was significantly associated with CPC-induced hypoactivity and reduced social interactions in juveniles but not adults. Our findings demonstrated that CPC exposure could cause abnormal behavior in juvenile and adult zebrafish and disturb their brain neurotransmitters, even at environmentally relevant concentrations, and thus highlighted the necessity for further assessing its potential risks to aquatic ecosystems.
Acknowledgements: This work was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32071623) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (Grant No. BK20191433). Thanks for the support of Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology Suzhou 215009, China.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109393
