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In this study, both conventional one-dimensional liquid chromatography (1DLC) and comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2DLC) coupled to a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HR-TOF MS) were used for full-scale lipid characterization of lipid extracts from zebrafish embryos. We investigated the influence on annotated lipids and different separation mechanisms (HILIC, C18, and PFP), and their different orders arranged in the first and the second dimensions. As a result, the number of lipid species annotated by conventional one-dimensional LC-MS was between 212 and 448. In contrast, the number of individual lipids species annotated by C18×HILIC, HILIC×C18, and HILIC×PFP were 1784, 1059, and 1123, respectively. Therefore, it was evident that the performance of comprehensive 2DLC, especially the C18×HILIC method, considerably exceeded 1DLC. Interestingly, a comparison of the HILIC×C18 and C18×HILIC approaches showed, under the optimized conditions, similar orthogonality, but the effective separation power of the C18×HILIC was much higher. A comparison of the HILIC×C18 and the HILIC×PFP methods demonstrated that the HILIC×PFP separation had superior orthogonality with a small increase on its effective peak capacity, indicating that the HILIC×PFP combination maybe a promising platform for untargeted lipidomics in complex samples. Finally, from the comprehensive lipid profiling respective, the C18×HILIC was selected for further studies.

Recently, a proof-of-concept study revealed the suitability of transcriptome analyses to obtain and assess changes in the abundance of transcripts in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos after exposure to organic sediment extracts. The present study investigated changes in the transcript abundance in zebrafish embryos exposed to whole sediment samples and corresponding organic extracts in order to identify the impact of different exposure pathways on sediment toxicity. Danio rerio embryos were exposed to sublethal concentrations of three sediment samples from the Danube River, Germany. The sediment samples were investigated both as freeze-dried samples and as organic extracts. Silica dust and a process control of the extraction procedure were used as references. After exposure, mRNA was isolated and changes in profiles of gene expression levels were examined by an oligonucleotide microarray. The microarray results were compared with bioassays, chemical analysis of the sediments and profiles of gene expression levels induced by several single substances. The microarray approach elucidated significant changes in the abundance of transcripts in exposed zebrafish embryos compared to the references. Generally, results could be related to Ah-receptor-mediated effects as confirmed by bioassays and chemical analysis of dioxin-like contaminants, as well as to exposure to stress-inducing compounds. Furthermore, the results indicated that mixtures of chemicals, as present in sediment and extract samples, result in complex changes of gene expression level profiles difficult to compare with profiles induced by single chemical substances. Specifically, patterns of transcript abundances were less influenced by the chemical composition at the sampling site compared t the method of exposure (sediment/extract). This effect might be related to different bioavailability of chemicals. The apparent difference between the exposure scenarios is an important aspect that needs to be addressed when conducting analyses of alterations in the expression level of mRNA.

Behavioral studies are important tools for understanding the development and pathology of neurological diseases. Zebrafish are an emerging alternative model in behavioral and neurological studies as the behavioral repertoire of zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) is similar to humans, and nervous system structures and functions are highly conserved. In this study, we investigated alterations in day/night locomotor activity of free swimming, feeding wild-type zebrafish larvae (8–15dpf) due to changes in the rhythm of light/dark cycles or caloric content of food. We furthermore exposed zebrafish larvae to continuous stress by applying alternated minor vibrations. Under altered rhythms of light/dark cycle’s zebrafish larvae still expressed a distinct light/dark activity pattern but the total activity was reduced compared to control animals. When the larvae were exposed to continuous light, they still had coordinated resting cycles but maximal activity and excitation rates after feeding were increased, indicating that food became the new zeitgeber. Feeding food of high caloric content induced continuously high activity levels during light cycles and significantly elevated activity levels during the dark. Exposure to continuous vibrations lowered total activity levels. We showed previously that changes in environmental factors like light/dark cycles or changes in caloric content of food can affect adipogenesis, lipid composition, and circadian rhythm of free swimming, feeding larvae but this is the first time showing how theses factor alter behavior.

A criterion frequently used to group chemicals in risk assessment is “mode of toxic action” (MoA). Routinely, structure-based approaches are used for the MoA categorization of chemicals, but they can produce conflicting results or fail to classify compounds. Biological activity-based approaches such as toxicogenomics which provide an unbiased overview of the transcriptomic changes after exposure to a compound may complement structure-based approaches in MoA assignment. Here, we investigate whether toxicogenomic profiles as generated after in vitro exposure of an established cell line (C3A hepatoma cells) are able to group together chemicals with an uncoupling MoA, and to distinguish the uncouplers from chemicals with other MoAs. In a first step, we examined whether chemicals sharing the same uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) MoA produce similar toxicogenomic profiles and can be grouped together. In a next step, we tested whether the toxicogenomic profiles discriminate between OXPHOS and chemicals displaying a (polar) narcotic MoA. Experimentally, cells were exposed in vitro to equipotent concentrations of the test compounds and gene expression profiles were measured. The resulting toxicogenomic profiles assigned OXPHOS to one cluster and discriminated between the OXPHOS and the (polar) narcotics. In addition, the toxicogenomics data revealed that one and the same chemical can display multiple MoAs, which may help to explain conflicting results of MoA classification from structure-based approaches. The results strongly suggest the feasibility of MoA grouping of chemicals by using in vitro cell assay-based toxicogenomic profiles.

Humans are exposed daily to complex mixtures of chemical substances via food intake, inhalation, and dermal contact. Developmental neurotoxicity is an understudied area and entails one of the most complex areas in toxicology. Animal studies for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) are hardly performed in the context of regular hazard studies, as they are costly and time consuming and provide only limited information as to human relevance. There is a need for a combination of in vitro and in silico tests for the assessment of chemically induced DNT in humans. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo (ZFE) provides a powerful model to study DNT because it shows fast neurodevelopment with a large resemblance to the higher vertebrate, including the human system. One of the suitable readouts for DNT testing in the zebrafish is neurobehaviour (stimulus-provoked locomotion) since this provides integrated information on the functionality and status of the entire nervous system of the embryo. In the current study, environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals and their mixtures were investigated using the zebrafish light-dark transition test. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to three neuroactive compounds of concern, carbamazepine (CBZ), fluoxetine (FLX), and venlafaxine (VNX), as well as their main metabolites, carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide (CBZ 10,11E), norfluoxetine (norFLX), and desvenlafaxine (desVNX). All the studied compounds, except CBZ 10,11E, dose-dependently inhibited zebrafish locomotor activity, providing a distinct behavioural phenotype. Mixture experiments with these pharmaceuticals identified that dose addition was confirmed for all the studied binary mixtures (CBZ-FLX, CBZ-VNX, and VNX-FLX), thereby supporting the zebrafish embryo as a model for studying the cumulative effect of chemical mixtures in DNT. This study shows that pharmaceuticals and a mixture thereof affect locomotor activity in zebrafish. The test is directly applicable in environmental risk assessment; however, further studies are required to assess the relevance of these findings for developmental neurotoxicity in humans.

Hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (OH-PBDEs) have been detected in humans and wildlife. Using in vitro models, we recently showed that OH-PBDEs disrupt oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), an essential process in energy metabolism. The goal of the current study was to determine the in vivo effects of OH-PBDE reported in marine wildlife. To this end, we exposed zebrafish larvae to 17 OH-PBDEs from fertilisation to 6 days of age, and determined developmental toxicity as well as OXPHOS disruption potential with a newly developed assay of oxygen consumption in living embryos. We show here that all OH-PBDEs tested, both individually and as mixtures, resulted in a concentration-dependant delay in development in zebrafish embryos. The most potent substances were 6-OH-BDE47 and 6′-OH-BDE49 (No-Effect-Concentration: 0.1 and 0.05 µM). The first 24 h of development were the most sensitive, resulting in significant and irreversible developmental delay. All substances increased oxygen consumption, an effect indicative of OXPHOS disruption. Our results suggest that the induced developmental delay may be caused by disruption of OXPHOS. Though further studies are needed, our findings suggest that the environmental concentrations of some OH-PBDEs found in Baltic Sea wildlife in the Baltic Sea may be of toxicological concern.

A sensitive analytical method for the determination of monoamine neurotransmitters (MNTs) in zebrafish larvae was developed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Six MNTs were selected as target compounds for neurotoxicity testing. MNTs underwent a two-step derivatization with hexamethyldisilazane (HDMS) for O -silylation followed by N -methyl- bis -heptafluorobutyramide (MBHFBA) for N -perfluoroacylation. Derivatization conditions were optimized by an experimental design approach. Method validation showed linear calibration curves ( r 2  > 0.9976) in the range of 1–100 ng for all the compounds. The recovery rates were between 92 and 119%. The method was repeatable and reproducible with relative standard deviations (RSD) in the range of 2.5–9.3% for intra-day and 4.8–12% for inter-day variation. The limits of detection and the limits of quantitation were 0.4–0.8 and 1.2–2.7 ng/mL, respectively. The method was successfully applied to detect and quantify trace levels of MNTs in 5-day-old zebrafish larvae that were exposed to low concentrations of neurotoxic chemicals such as pesticides and methylmercury. Although visual malformations were not detected, the MNT levels varied significantly during early zebrafish development. These results show that exposure to neurotoxic chemicals can alter neurotransmitter levels and thereby may influence early brain development. Graphical abstract ᅟ

In ecotoxicology, transcriptomics is an effective way to detect gene expression changes in response to environmental pollutants. Such changes can be used to identify contaminants or contaminant classes and can be applied as early warning signals for pollution. To do so, it is important to distinguish contaminant-specific transcriptomic changes from genetic alterations due to general stress. Here we present a first step in the identification of contaminant class-specific transcriptome signatures. Embryos of zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) were exposed to three substances (methylmercury, chlorpyrifos and Aroclor 1254, each from 24 to 48 hpf exposed) representing sediment typical contaminant classes. We analyzed the altered transcriptome to detect discriminative genes significantly regulated in reaction to the three applied contaminants. By comparison of the results of the three contaminants, we identified transcriptome signatures and biologically important pathways (using Cytoscape/ClueGO software) that react significantly to the contaminant classes. This approach increases the chance of finding genes that play an important role in contaminant class-specific pathways rather than more general processes.

BackgroundAlterations in neurotransmitter phenotypes of specific neurons can cause imbalances in excitation and inhibition in the central nervous system (CNS), leading to diseases. Therefore, the correct specification and maintenance of neurotransmitter phenotypes is vital. As with other neuronal properties, neurotransmitter phenotypes are often specified and maintained by particular transcription factors. However, the specific molecular mechanisms and transcription factors that regulate neurotransmitter phenotypes remain largely unknown.MethodsIn this paper we use single mutant, double mutant and transgenic zebrafish embryos to elucidate the functions of Lmx1ba and Lmx1bb in the regulation of spinal cord interneuron neurotransmitter phenotypes.ResultsWe demonstrate that lmx1ba and lmx1bb are both expressed in zebrafish spinal cord and that lmx1bb is expressed by both V0v cells and dI5 cells. Our functional analyses demonstrate that these transcription factors are not required for neurotransmitter fate specification at early stages of development, but that in embryos with at least two lmx1ba and/or lmx1bb mutant alleles there is a reduced number of excitatory (glutamatergic) spinal interneurons at later stages of development. In contrast, there is no change in the numbers of V0v or dI5 cells. These data suggest that lmx1b-expressing spinal neurons still form normally, but at least a subset of them lose, or do not form, their normal excitatory fates. As the reduction in glutamatergic cells is only seen at later stages of development, Lmx1b is probably required either for the maintenance of glutamatergic fates or to specify glutamatergic phenotypes of a subset of later forming neurons. Using double labeling experiments, we also show that at least some of the cells that lose their normal glutamatergic phenotype are V0v cells. Finally, we also establish that Evx1 and Evx2, two transcription factors that are required for V0v cells to acquire their excitatory neurotransmitter phenotype, are also required for lmx1ba and lmx1bb expression in these cells, suggesting that Lmx1ba and Lmx1bb act downstream of Evx1 and Evx2 in V0v cells.ConclusionsLmx1ba and Lmx1bb function at least partially redundantly in the spinal cord and three functional lmx1b alleles are required in zebrafish for correct numbers of excitatory spinal interneurons at later developmental stages. Taken together, our data significantly enhance our understanding of how spinal cord neurotransmitter fates are regulated.