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Exposure to low-dose arsenic caused teratogenicity and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in zebrafish embryos

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Abstract

Arsenic is currently ranked as the most toxicant on the ATSDR 2015 substance priority list and is categorised as a Group 1 human carcinogen. Biota that are subjected to inorganic arsenicals through food, water, occupational or medical exposure pose a risk to the environment and to human health. The present study was carried out to investigate the toxicity caused by inorganic arsenic. After fertilisation, zebrafish embryos were exposed to sodium arsenite at several concentrations (100 nM to 600 nM) for 24 to 96 hpf. The indicators of teratogenicity (hatchability, morphological abnormalities, mortality), behavioural modifications (touch induced escape response (TIER), startle response (SR) and turning behaviour (TB)), biochemical testing (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione S transferase (GST)) and the expressions of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were investigated. The aforementioned parameters were found to be altered in embryos exposed to sodium arsenite. According to the findings of the current study, even a low dose of inorganic arsenic compound caused teratogenicity, behavioural abnormalities, altered enzyme activities and the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in zebrafish embryos.

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Funding

Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University – Institute of Fisheries Postgraduate Studies provided the funds and all the necessary facilities to carry out this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries Biotechnology, Institute of Fisheries Post Graduate Studies, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, OMR Campus, Chennai, 603103, Tamil Nadu, India

    Modi Kiran Piyushbhai

  2. Department of Basic Sciences, Institute of Fisheries Post Graduate Studies, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, OMR Campus, Vaniyanchavadi, Chennai, 603103, Tamil Nadu, India

    Ambika Binesh, S. A. Shanmugam & Kaliyamurthi Venkatachalam

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  1. Modi Kiran Piyushbhai
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  2. Ambika Binesh
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  3. S. A. Shanmugam
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  4. Kaliyamurthi Venkatachalam
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Contributions

Modi Kiran — performed experiment and drafted the article, prepared the figures and tables.

Ambika Binesh — designed the experiment and reviewed the manuscript.

S. A. Shanmugam — reviewed the manuscript.

Kaliyamurthi Venkatachalam — designed the experiment, drafted and edited the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kaliyamurthi Venkatachalam.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical Statement

Zebrafish were maintained as per Institutional Animal Ethical Care (IAEC) and committee for the purpose of control and supervision of experiments on animals (CPCSEA).

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Piyushbhai, M.K., Binesh, A., Shanmugam, S.A. et al. Exposure to low-dose arsenic caused teratogenicity and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in zebrafish embryos. Biol Trace Elem Res 201, 3487–3496 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03418-w

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