title: Toxic effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on cardiac development in zebrafish.
abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants that may pose significant health-risks to various organisms including humans. Although the mixed PCB Aroclor 1254 is widespread in the environment, its potential toxic effect on heart development and the mechanism underlying its developmental toxicity have not been previously studied. Here, we used the zebrafish as a toxicogenomic model to examine the effects of Aroclor 1254 on heart development. We found that PCB exposure during zebrafish development induced heart abnormalities including pericardial edema and cardiac looping defects. Further malformations of the zebrafish embryo were observed and death of the larvae occurred in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Our mechanistic studies revealed that abnormalities in the arylhydrocarbon receptor, Wnt and retinoic acid signaling pathways may underlie the effects of PCBs on zebrafish heart development. Interestingly, co-administration of Aroclor 1254 and diethylaminobenzaldehyde, an inhibitor of retinaldehyde dehydrogenase, partially rescued the toxic effects of PCBs on zebrafish heart development. In conclusion, PCBs can induce developmental defects in the zebrafish heart, which may be mediated by abnormal RA signaling.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
authors.forename: Mengmeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xuejie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jingai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Shasha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiaoshan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xirong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zhangbin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Shuping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020111:Chlorodiphenyl (54% Chlorine) / Q000633:toxicity*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000502:physiology; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D020111:Chlorodiphenyl (54% Chlorine); D014212:Tretinoin