title: Arsenic alters behavioral parameters and brain ectonucleotidases activities in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
abstract: Arsenic (As) exposure has been associated with serious chronic health risk to humans including cancer and neurological disturbances. However, there are limited studies about the mechanisms behind its toxicity. In this study, adult zebrafish were exposed to several concentrations of As (0.05, 5, and 15 mg As/L; Na(2)HAsO(4) as As(V)) during 96 h to evaluate the zebrafish locomotor activity, anxiety, and brain extracellular nucleotide hydrolysis. We showed that 5 mg/L As is able to promote significant decrease in the locomotor activity as evaluated by the number of line crossings. In addition, animals treated with 5mg/L As presented an increase in time spent in the lower zone of the tank test, suggesting an anxiogenic effect. Considering that behavioral parameters, such as anxiety and locomotion, might be modulated by the purinergic system, we also evaluated the ectonucleotidase activities in zebrafish brain after a 96-h As exposure. A significant decrease in ATP, ADP, and AMP hydrolysis was observed at 0.05, 5, and 15 mg/L when compared to control group. These findings demonstrated that As might affect behavioral parameters and the ectonucleotidase activities in zebrafish, suggesting this enzyme pathway is a target for neurotoxic effects induced by As.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Faculdade de Biociências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis Antonio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Baldissarelli
authors.forename: Katiucia Marques
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Capiotti
authors.forename: Mauricio Reis
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bogo
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ghisleni
authors.forename: Carla Denise
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bonan
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced; D001149:Arsenates / Q000633:toxicity*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001149:Arsenates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; C009277:sodium arsenate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase