Exposure Effects of Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of the Tricyclic Antidepressant, Amitriptyline in Early Life Stage Zebrafish
Gould, SL; Winter, MJ; Trznadel, M; et al.Lange, A; Hamilton, CM; Boreham, RJ; Hetheridge, MJ; Young, A; Norton, WHJ; Tyler, CR
Date: 11 July 2024
Article
Journal
Environmental Science and Technology
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Antidepressants are one of the most globally prescribed classes of pharmaceuticals, and drug target conservation across phyla means that nontarget organisms may be at risk from the effects of exposure. Here, we address the knowledge gap for the effects of chronic exposure (28 days) to the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline (AMI) ...
Antidepressants are one of the most globally prescribed classes of pharmaceuticals, and drug target conservation across phyla means that nontarget organisms may be at risk from the effects of exposure. Here, we address the knowledge gap for the effects of chronic exposure (28 days) to the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline (AMI) on fish, including for concentrations with environmental relevance, using
zebrafish (Danio rerio) as our experimental model. AMI was found to bioconcentrate in zebrafish, readily transformed to its major active metabolite nortriptyline, and induced a pharmacological effect (down-
regulation of the gene encoding the serotonin transporter; slc6a4a) at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.03 μg/L and above). Exposures to AMI at higher concentrations accelerated the hatch rate and reduced activity levels, the latter of which was abolished after a 14
day period of depuration. The lack of any response on the features of physiology and behavior we measured at concentrations found in the environment would indicate that AMI poses a relatively low level of risk to fish populations. The pseudopersistence and likely presence of multiple drugs acting via the same mechanism of
action, however, together with a global trend for increased prescription rates, mean that this risk may be underestimated using current ecotoxicological assessment paradigms.
Biosciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Item views 0
Full item downloads 0
Except where otherwise noted, this item's licence is described as © 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under
CC-BY 4.0.