title: Evaluation of zebrafish DNA integrity after exposure to pharmacological agents present in aquatic environments.
abstract: Over the past few years, the increasing and uncontrolled use of pharmaceutical substances in agriculture, fish farming, human health and in veterinary medicine, together with an improper use of out-of-date medicines, has led to a consequent increase in the environmental problems linked to their disposal. In some Italian waste water treatment plants were found furosemide, a diuretic; ranitidine, an antiulcer drug; bezafibrate, a lipid regulator and ibuprofen, a painkiller. The present paper shows, by means of the synergic application of three tests (the Comet Test, the Diffusion Assay and the RAPD-PCR technique), how the DNA of zebrafish can be damaged after exposure to the above mentioned drugs. The data from the Comet Test, the Diffusion Assay and the RAPD-PCR technique were generally in agreement; these results show that all four drugs are genotoxic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Second University of Naples, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta, Italy. lucia.rocco@unina2.it
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rocco
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frenzilli
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peluso
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stingo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001629:Bezafibrate / Q000633:toxicity; D020552:Comet Assay / Q000379:methods; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000235:genetics*; D004350:Drug Residues / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D005665:Furosemide / Q000633:toxicity; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000633:toxicity; D057847:Lipid Regulating Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique / Q000379:methods; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D057847:Lipid Regulating Agents; D005665:Furosemide; D007052:Ibuprofen; D001629:Bezafibrate