Research

Publications
Title: Bisphenol AF induces multiple behavioral and biochemical changes in zebrafish (Danio rerio) at different life stages
First author: Rao, Chenyang; Cao, Xianglin; Li, Lulu; Zhou, Jiameng; Sun, Dandan; Li, Baohua; Guo, Suqi; Yuan, Rongjie; Cui, Han; Chen, Jianjun
Journal: AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
Years: 2022
Volume / issue: /
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2022.106345
Abstract: As common environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), bisphenol AF (BPAF) raises potential con-cerns for aquatic organisms due to its widespread presence and continued release in the aquatic environment. This research aimed to use zebrafish embryos and adult fish to explore the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations (5 mu g/L), 50 mu g/L and 500 mu g/L of BPAF on zebrafish embryonic development, behavioral al-terations, and the potential mechanisms driving these effects. The results showed that 500 mu g/L of BPAF severely affected the growth and development of embryos. In behavioral experiments, all concentrations of BPAF significantly inhibited the locomotor activity of larvae, 50 and 500 mu g/L BPAF significantly altered the anxiety -like and aggressive behavior of adult zebrafish. Furthermore, environmentally relevant concentrations and higher concentrations of BPAF induced varying degrees of oxidative stress in both embryonic and adult fish. The most significant histopathological changes and decreased acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were observed in the brain at 50 and 500 mu g/L of BPAF. We hypothesized that oxidative stress is an important cause of behavioral disturbances in larvae and adult fish. To our best knowledge, the present experiment is a pioneer in studying the effects of BPAF on a variety of complex behaviors (swimming performance, anxiety-like, social behavior, aggression) in zebrafish, which emphasizes the potential health risk of higher concentrations of BPAF in terms of induced neurotoxicity.