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Molecular and ultrastructural insights into the earthworm Eisenia fetida of the assessment of ecotoxicity during colistin exposure

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Abstract

Colistin is a peptide antibiotic widely used as a feed additive in animal farming, especially in poultry and swine production, for treatment and prevention of gram-negative bacterial infections, as well as for growth promotion use. When orally ingested, colistin is poorly absorbed and is eliminated almost unaltered by the enteric canal into the environment. Thus, risk of environmental toxicity cannot be ignored. In the present study, we examined the effects of colistin on Heath Shock Protein (HSP) 70, metallothionein (MT) gene expressions, and the ultrastructure of intestinal cells, following treatment of the soil indicator earthworm Eisenia fetida with 10, 20, and 100 mg/kg colistin for 7, 14, and 21 days. The results showed that, compared with the control, the expressions of HSP70 and MT genes changed significantly. Colistin caused up-regulations of HSP70’s expression while inhibited the expression of MT gene. In addition, most mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum were damaged in the group treated with high concentration. The investigation of gene expressions of HSP70 and MT, as well as pathological alterations in the intestinal cells, may provide important information in terms of ecotoxicity of colistin and can be used as early warning system.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (no. IRT13063), Special Fund for the National Natural Science Foundation of China (project no.31172368), and the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (project no: S2011010001090).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Laboratory of Safety Evaluation (Environmental Assessment) of Veterinary Drugs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China

    Ruizi Guo, Xueyao Ding, Xiaoxia Zhong, Shangji Gao & Yongxue Sun

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  1. Ruizi Guo
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  2. Xueyao Ding
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  3. Xiaoxia Zhong
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  4. Shangji Gao
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  5. Yongxue Sun
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Correspondence to Yongxue Sun.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Guo, R., Ding, X., Zhong, X. et al. Molecular and ultrastructural insights into the earthworm Eisenia fetida of the assessment of ecotoxicity during colistin exposure. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 13405–13411 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3256-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3256-2

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