title: Glyphosate induces cardiovascular toxicity in Danio rerio.
abstract: Glyphosate is a broad spectrum herbicide used aggressively in agricultural practices as well as home garden care. Although labeled "safe" by the chemical industry, doses tested by industry do not mimic chronic exposures to sublethal doses that organisms in the environment are exposed to over long periods of time. Given the widespread uses of and exposure to glyphosate, studies on developmental toxicity are needed. Here we utilize the zebrafish vertebrate model system to study early effects of glyphosate on the developing heart. Treatment by embryo soaking with 50μg/ml glyphosate starting at gastrulation results in structural abnormalities in the atrium and ventricle, irregular heart looping, situs inversus as well as decreased heartbeats by 48h as determined by live imaging and immunohistochemistry. Vasculature in the body was also affected as determined using fli-1 transgenic embryos. To determine if the effects noted at 48h post fertilization are due to early stage alterations in myocardial precursors, we also investigate cardiomyocyte development with a Mef2 antibody and by mef2ca in situ hybridization and find alterations in the Mef2/mef2ca staining patterns during early cardiac patterning stages. We conclude that glyphosate is developmentally toxic to the zebrafish heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, United States. Electronic address: royn@sacredheart.edu.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, United States.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ochs
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, United States.
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zambrzycka
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, United States.
authors.forename: Ariann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D066126:Cardiotoxicity; D018376:Cardiovascular Abnormalities / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors / Q000235:genetics; D051789:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1 / Q000235:genetics; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D000097797:Glyphosate
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005998:Glycine; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D051789:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D000097797:Glyphosate; C522156:Mef2 protein, zebrafish
keywords: Cardiac; Development; Glyphosate; Vasculature; Zebrafish