title: Adverse effects induced by ecgonine methyl ester to the zebra mussel: a comparison with the benzoylecgonine.
abstract: Cocaine and its metabolites are the prevalent psychotropic substances in aquatic environment. However, to date the knowledge on their adverse effects to non-target organisms is inadequate. The aims of this study were to investigate sub-lethal effects induced by the ecgonine methyl ester (EME) to the freshwater bivalve Dreissena polymorpha and to compare its toxicity to that by benzoylecgonine (BE), the other main cocaine metabolite. EME sub-lethal effects were investigated by 14 days in-vivo exposures and a multi-biomarker approach. Slight variations in biomarker responses were found at 0.15 μg/L treatment. 0.5 μg/L EME treatment induced destabilization of lysosome membranes, an overall inactivation of defense enzymes, increases in lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation and DNA fragmentation, but no variations in fixed genetic damage. The use of a biomarker response index (BRI) showed that at 0.5 μg/L both cocaine metabolites had the same toxicity to zebra mussels specimens.
authors: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: marco.parolini@unimi.it.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Parolini
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Binelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D049875:Dreissena / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C005618:benzoylecgonine; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D003042:Cocaine; C034524:ecgonine methyl ester
keywords: Biomarkers; Cocaine metabolites; Dreissena polymorpha; Ecgonine methyl ester; Illicit drugs