Neurological responses of embryo-larval zebrafish to short-term sediment exposure to decabromodiphenylethane.

Mei-qing Jin; Dong Zhang; Ying Zhang; Shan-shan Zhou; Xian-ting LU; Hong-ting Zhao

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Neurological responses of embryo-larval zebrafish to short-term sediment exposure to decabromodiphenylethane.

Author: Mei-Qing JIN ¹ ; Dong ZHANG ¹ ; Ying ZHANG ² ; Shan-Shan ZHOU ³ ; Xian-Ting LU ¹ ; Hong-Ting ZHAO ¹
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1. College of Materials Science and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
2. Shanghai Key Laboratory for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
3. College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Decabromodiphenylethane; Flame retardant; Danio rerio; Neurotoxicity
MeSH: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; etiology; Animals; Apoptosis; drug effects; Behavior, Animal; drug effects; Bromobenzenes; toxicity; Geologic Sediments; analysis; Larva; drug effects; Neurotoxicity Syndromes; etiology; Water Pollutants, Chemical; toxicity; Zebrafish; embryology
From: Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2018;19(5):400-408
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: Decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) has been widely used as an alternative flame retardant due to the restriction or phase-out of traditional polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and is of increasing concern regarding its ubiquity, persistence, and potential adverse effects. In the present study, the toxicological effects of DBDPE were evaluated using zebrafish as an in vivo model. Upon being exposed to DBDPE-polluted sediments for a short term, it was found that the mortality and malformation of zebrafish (including edema, bent notochord, and bent tail) were not affected even at the highest concentration tested (1000.0 µg/kg dry sediment). Regarding behavioral responses, it was found that zebrafish larvae of 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) in all groups escaped successfully with a touch to the dorsal fin. However, when exposed to the highest DBDPE concentration, the larvae of 120 hpf exhibited significantly smaller distances as compared to the control. Moreover, the results of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, the expression levels of two important nerve-related genes, and the cell apoptosis all indicated that DBDPE posed low neurotoxicity in embryo-larval zebrafish. The results in this study shed some light on the potential risks of DBDPE in the real environment and highlight the application of the sediment exposure route in the future.