Developmental exposure of zebrafish to neonicotinoid pesticides: Long-term effects on neurobehavioral function. 2023

Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

Neonicotinoid compounds are commonly used insecticides which have become increasingly used as replacements of older generations of insecticides, such as organophosphates. Given the established neurotoxicity of cholinergic toxicants, developmental neurotoxicity studies are needed to identify in vertebrate species the potential toxicity of these insecticides which act on nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Previously, developmental exposure to a neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid was shown to cause persisting neurobehavioral toxicity in zebrafish. The current study evaluated neurobehavioral effects of embryonic exposure to two other neonicotinoid insecticides, clothianidin (1-100 µM) and dinotefuran (1-100 µM) in zebrafish (5-120 h post-fertilization), concentrations below the threshold for increased lethality and overt dysmorphogenesis. Neurobehavioral tests were conducted at larval (6 days), adolescent (10 weeks) and adult (8 months) ages. Both compounds caused short-term behavioral effects on larval motility, although these effects were distinct from one another. At a lower concentration (1 µM) clothianidin increased dark-induced locomotor stimulation the second time the lights turned off, while a higher concentration (100 µM) reduced activity in the dark at its second presentation. By contrast, dinotefuran (10-100 µM) caused a general decrease in locomotion. Specific longer-term neurobehavioral toxicity after early developmental exposure was also seen. clothianidin (100 µM) reduced locomotor activity in the novel tank in adolescence and adulthood, as well as reduced baseline activity in the tap startle test (1-100 µM) and reduced activity early (1-10 µM) or throughout the predator avoidance test session (100 µM). In addition to locomotor effects, clothianidin altered the diving response in a dose-, age- and time-block-dependent manner (1 µM, 100 µM), causing fish to remain further away from a fast predator cue (100 µM) relative to controls. Dinotefuran produced comparatively fewer effects, increasing the diving response in adulthood (10 µM), but not adolescence, and suppressing initial locomotor activity in the predator avoidance test (1-10 µM). These data indicate that neonicotinoid insecticides may carry some of the same risks for vertebrates posed by other classes of insecticides, and that these adverse behavioral consequences of early developmental exposure are evident well into adulthood.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007306 Insecticides Pesticides designed to control insects that are harmful to man. The insects may be directly harmful, as those acting as disease vectors, or indirectly harmful, as destroyers of crops, food products, or textile fabrics. Insecticide
D010575 Pesticides Chemicals used to destroy pests of any sort. The concept includes fungicides (FUNGICIDES, INDUSTRIAL); INSECTICIDES; RODENTICIDES; etc. Pesticide
D000073943 Neonicotinoids A class of insecticides that are structurally similar to NICOTINE and have physiologically similar effects as agonists of NICOTINIC ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTORS, but are less toxic to vertebrates. They are widely used in agriculture. Neonicotinoid
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D015027 Zebrafish An exotic species of the family CYPRINIDAE, originally from Asia, that has been introduced in North America. Zebrafish is a model organism for drug assay and cancer research. Brachydanio rerio,Danio rerio,B. rerio,D. rerio,Zebra Fish,Zebra Fishes,Zebra danio,Zebrafishes,D. rerios,Fishes, Zebra,Zebra danios,danio, Zebra

Related Publications

Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
January 1990, Neurotoxicology and teratology,
Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
December 2013, High altitude medicine & biology,
Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
July 2009, Environmental health perspectives,
Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
January 2005, Neurotoxicology and teratology,
Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
December 2018, Zebrafish,
Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
January 1986, Neurotoxicology,
Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
March 2021, Scientific reports,
Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
February 2011, Occupational and environmental medicine,
Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
January 2015, Neurotoxicology and teratology,
Andrew B Hawkey, and Dilanaz Unal, and Zade R Holloway, and Edward D Levin
September 1995, Environmental health perspectives,
Copied contents to your clipboard!