title: The toxicity potential of pharmaceuticals found in the Douro River estuary (Portugal)--experimental assessment using a zebrafish embryo test.
abstract: Fish embryos are a particularly vulnerable stage of development, so they represent optimal targets for screening toxicological effects of waterborne xenobiotics. Herein, the toxicity potential of two mixtures of pharmaceuticals was evaluated using a zebrafish embryo test. One of the mixtures corresponds to an environmentally realistic scenario and both have carbamazepine, fenofibric acid, propranolol, trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole. The results evidenced morphological alterations, such as spinal deformities and yolk-sac oedemas. Moreover, heart rates decreased after both mixture exposures, e.g., at 48hpf, highest mixture versus blank control (47.8±4.9 and 55.8±3.7 beats/30s, respectively). The tail lengths also diminished significantly from 3208±145μm in blank control to 3130±126μm in highest mixture. The toxicological effects were concentration dependent. Mortality, hatching rate and the number of spontaneous movements were not affected. However, the low levels of pharmaceuticals did interfere with the normal development of zebrafish, which indicates risks for wild organisms.
authors.affiliation: Superior Institute of Health Sciences - North (ISCS-N), CESPU, Gandra, Paredes, Portugal.
authors.forename: Tânia Vieira
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Madureira
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cruzeiro
authors.forename: Maria João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000633:toxicity; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000633:toxicity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D011345:Fenofibrate / Q000633:toxicity; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011174:Portugal; D011433:Propranolol / Q000633:toxicity; D011897:Random Allocation; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000633:toxicity; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002220:Carbamazepine; D011433:Propranolol; D014295:Trimethoprim; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole; D011345:Fenofibrate