Evaluation of zebrafish DNA integrity after exposure to pharmacological agents present in aquatic environments.
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substances in agriculture, fish farming, human health and in veterinary medicine, together with an improper use of out-of-date medicines, has led to a consequent increase in the environmental problems linked to their disposal.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.
Rocco
Lucia
L
Department of Life Sciences, Second University of Naples, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta, Italy. lucia.rocco@unina2.it
Frenzilli
Giada
G
Fusco
Dominique
D
Peluso
Carmela
C
Stingo
Vincenzo
V
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*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D057847:Lipid Regulating Agents; D005665:Furosemide; D007052:Ibuprofen; D001629:Bezafibrate