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Impacts of chronic exposure to sublethal diazepam on behavioral traits of female and male zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Authors :
Kun Chen
Min Wu
Chen Chen
Hai Xu
Xiangyang Wu
Xuchun Qiu
Source :
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Vol 208, Iss , Pp 111747- (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Elsevier, 2021.

Abstract

Residues of the psychoactive drug diazepam (DZP) may pose potential risks to fish in aquatic environments, especially by disrupting their behavioral traits. In this study, female and male zebrafish were subjected to chronic exposure (21 days) to sublethal doses (120 and 12 µg/L) of DZP, aimed to compare the characteristics of their behavioral responses to DZP exposure, and to investigate the possible links between those behavioral responses and variations in their brain γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels. Chronic exposure to DZP significantly decreased the swimming velocity and locomotor activity of both genders, indicating a typical sedative effect. Compared with males, whose locomotor activity was only significantly decreased by exposure to DZP for 21 days, females became hypoactive on day 14 (i.e., more sensitive), and they developed tolerance to the hypoactive effect induced by 120 μg/L DZP by day 21. Exposure to DZP significantly disturbed the behavioral traits related to social interactions in females but not in males. Those results indicate that DZP exhibits sex-dependent effects on the behaviors of fish. Moreover, exposure to DZP for 21 days significantly disturbed almost all of the tested behavioral traits associated with courtship when both genders were put together. Sex-dependent responses in brain GABA and AChE levels due to DZP exposure were also identified. Significant relationships between the brain GABA/AChE levels and some behavioral parameters related to locomotor activity were detected in females, but not in males.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
01476513
Volume :
208
Issue :
111747-
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.4f63b1ae0f6242ebb3a16a1be86829a9
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111747