The use of zebrafish embryos and larvae is always more widespread and accepted in the scientific community for the screening of dangerous effects exercised by chemicals and environmental pollutant on the development of vertebrate organisms. Metals as aluminum (Al), one of the more abundant metal in the Earth's crust, have been previously associated with the development and the progression severity of neurological disorders as Alzheimer’s diseases. In this study the toxicity of Al was evaluated on the development of the zebrafish larvae, paying particular attention to the nervous system. Larvae at protruding mouth stage were exposed to different concentrations of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) for 72 hours to test the lethality index. The mortality and the phenotypic analysis were determined after 24, 48 and 72 hours of treatment. Pericardial edema and impaired cardiac function consistent in alteration of heart rate were present in 50% of these larvae after 48 hours. A reduction of the response to stimuli in live larvae was observed from 100 uM of AlCl3 just after 24 hours of the exposition and the severity of this abnormality was directly proportionate to the used concentration. In the light of these results sections of zebrafish larvae, after 48 hours of the exposure at 100 uM of AlCl3, were embedded in paraffin and processed by ABC technique. The immunohistochemistry experiments performed with an antibody anti-GFAP, marker of astroglial cells, showed a reduction of signal in terms of intensity and number of positive cells, in all areas of larvae encephalon with largest decreases in the hindbrain. These data show a toxic effect exerted by Al on the development of the larvae of this teleost fish. Interesting was to observe that this metal could represent also a cardiac toxin over the neurotoxic ability that also in this study was confirmed. The decrease of GFAP expression was associated in previous works with deconstruction of cellular cytoskeleton resulting in degeneration of cellular processes and functionality, so Al could affects the roles performed by these cells also in this model. Affecting astroglial roles Al should damages therefore nerve cells, and this observation can represent a new way to consider for explain the neurological toxicity exercised by this metal in human brain.

ALUMINUM-INDUCED ALTERATIONS IN DANIO RERIO DEVELOPMENT / Monaco, Antonio; A., Aurino; Grimaldi, MARIA CONSIGLIO; Ferrandino, Ida. - (2015), pp. 176-176. (Intervento presentato al convegno 25th Annual Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) tenutosi a Barcellona, Spana nel 3-7 May 2015.).

ALUMINUM-INDUCED ALTERATIONS IN DANIO RERIO DEVELOPMENT

MONACO, ANTONIO;GRIMALDI, MARIA CONSIGLIO;FERRANDINO, IDA
2015

Abstract

The use of zebrafish embryos and larvae is always more widespread and accepted in the scientific community for the screening of dangerous effects exercised by chemicals and environmental pollutant on the development of vertebrate organisms. Metals as aluminum (Al), one of the more abundant metal in the Earth's crust, have been previously associated with the development and the progression severity of neurological disorders as Alzheimer’s diseases. In this study the toxicity of Al was evaluated on the development of the zebrafish larvae, paying particular attention to the nervous system. Larvae at protruding mouth stage were exposed to different concentrations of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) for 72 hours to test the lethality index. The mortality and the phenotypic analysis were determined after 24, 48 and 72 hours of treatment. Pericardial edema and impaired cardiac function consistent in alteration of heart rate were present in 50% of these larvae after 48 hours. A reduction of the response to stimuli in live larvae was observed from 100 uM of AlCl3 just after 24 hours of the exposition and the severity of this abnormality was directly proportionate to the used concentration. In the light of these results sections of zebrafish larvae, after 48 hours of the exposure at 100 uM of AlCl3, were embedded in paraffin and processed by ABC technique. The immunohistochemistry experiments performed with an antibody anti-GFAP, marker of astroglial cells, showed a reduction of signal in terms of intensity and number of positive cells, in all areas of larvae encephalon with largest decreases in the hindbrain. These data show a toxic effect exerted by Al on the development of the larvae of this teleost fish. Interesting was to observe that this metal could represent also a cardiac toxin over the neurotoxic ability that also in this study was confirmed. The decrease of GFAP expression was associated in previous works with deconstruction of cellular cytoskeleton resulting in degeneration of cellular processes and functionality, so Al could affects the roles performed by these cells also in this model. Affecting astroglial roles Al should damages therefore nerve cells, and this observation can represent a new way to consider for explain the neurological toxicity exercised by this metal in human brain.
2015
ALUMINUM-INDUCED ALTERATIONS IN DANIO RERIO DEVELOPMENT / Monaco, Antonio; A., Aurino; Grimaldi, MARIA CONSIGLIO; Ferrandino, Ida. - (2015), pp. 176-176. (Intervento presentato al convegno 25th Annual Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) tenutosi a Barcellona, Spana nel 3-7 May 2015.).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/635731
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