Developmental adverse effects of trace amounts of lead: Evaluation using zebrafish model

Lead (Pb) is widely used as a raw material for various daily necessities in human civilization. However, Pb is a major toxicant and Pb poisoning has long been a global health concern. A large body of evidence has revealed that exposure to Pb causes a variety of adverse health effects. Meanwhile, exp...

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Main Authors: Yuta Komoike, Masato Matsuoka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-09-01
Series:Frontiers in Pharmacology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1014912/full
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author Yuta Komoike
Masato Matsuoka
author_facet Yuta Komoike
Masato Matsuoka
author_sort Yuta Komoike
collection DOAJ
description Lead (Pb) is widely used as a raw material for various daily necessities in human civilization. However, Pb is a major toxicant and Pb poisoning has long been a global health concern. A large body of evidence has revealed that exposure to Pb causes a variety of adverse health effects. Meanwhile, experimental studies on the developmental effects caused by trace amounts of Pb remain to be fully conducted. Therefore, we aimed to provide direct experimental evidence of the adverse developmental effects of Pb exposure below the occupational regulatory standard concentrations using a zebrafish model. We also attempted to investigate the cellular stress response caused by such a trace amount of Pb at the individual level. Fertilized zebrafish eggs were exposed to 100 ppb Pb from 6 to 72 h post fertilization (hpf), the developmental period included within the mammalian implantation to birth. The embryos exposed to Pb did not show superficially evident morphological alterations or differences in viability compared with the controls until 72 hpf; however, they hatched earlier and were significantly shorter in body length than the controls at 48 and 72 hpf. Larvae that were exposed to Pb until 72 hpf and then cultured until 7 days post fertilization without Pb exhibited edema and inflation defects in the swim bladder. The reactive oxygen species level in the Pb-exposed embryos was similar at 24 hpf, slightly but significantly higher at 48 hpf, and lower than half that of the control at 72 hpf. Accordingly, the expression levels of oxidative stress response-related genes were analyzed, and five out of seven tested genes were upregulated in Pb-exposed embryos at 48 and 72 hpf. In addition, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress related genes were upregulated at 48 hpf. These results indicate that exposure of embryos to trace amounts of Pb induces a transient increase in oxidative- and ER-stresses and results in weak hypotrophy and subsequent abnormalities later in development. Our findings may be key to understanding the total health effects of Pb exposure, and indicate that the zebrafish model is suitable for the investigation of developmental toxicity of pollutants such as Pb.
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spelling doaj.art-1fcb215e138b468089034a843a4d00fe2022-12-22T04:05:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122022-09-011310.3389/fphar.2022.10149121014912Developmental adverse effects of trace amounts of lead: Evaluation using zebrafish modelYuta KomoikeMasato MatsuokaLead (Pb) is widely used as a raw material for various daily necessities in human civilization. However, Pb is a major toxicant and Pb poisoning has long been a global health concern. A large body of evidence has revealed that exposure to Pb causes a variety of adverse health effects. Meanwhile, experimental studies on the developmental effects caused by trace amounts of Pb remain to be fully conducted. Therefore, we aimed to provide direct experimental evidence of the adverse developmental effects of Pb exposure below the occupational regulatory standard concentrations using a zebrafish model. We also attempted to investigate the cellular stress response caused by such a trace amount of Pb at the individual level. Fertilized zebrafish eggs were exposed to 100 ppb Pb from 6 to 72 h post fertilization (hpf), the developmental period included within the mammalian implantation to birth. The embryos exposed to Pb did not show superficially evident morphological alterations or differences in viability compared with the controls until 72 hpf; however, they hatched earlier and were significantly shorter in body length than the controls at 48 and 72 hpf. Larvae that were exposed to Pb until 72 hpf and then cultured until 7 days post fertilization without Pb exhibited edema and inflation defects in the swim bladder. The reactive oxygen species level in the Pb-exposed embryos was similar at 24 hpf, slightly but significantly higher at 48 hpf, and lower than half that of the control at 72 hpf. Accordingly, the expression levels of oxidative stress response-related genes were analyzed, and five out of seven tested genes were upregulated in Pb-exposed embryos at 48 and 72 hpf. In addition, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress related genes were upregulated at 48 hpf. These results indicate that exposure of embryos to trace amounts of Pb induces a transient increase in oxidative- and ER-stresses and results in weak hypotrophy and subsequent abnormalities later in development. Our findings may be key to understanding the total health effects of Pb exposure, and indicate that the zebrafish model is suitable for the investigation of developmental toxicity of pollutants such as Pb.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1014912/fullzebrafishleaddevelopmentoxidative stressendoplasmic reticulum stressDOHAD
spellingShingle Yuta Komoike
Masato Matsuoka
Developmental adverse effects of trace amounts of lead: Evaluation using zebrafish model
Frontiers in Pharmacology
zebrafish
lead
development
oxidative stress
endoplasmic reticulum stress
DOHAD
title Developmental adverse effects of trace amounts of lead: Evaluation using zebrafish model
title_full Developmental adverse effects of trace amounts of lead: Evaluation using zebrafish model
title_fullStr Developmental adverse effects of trace amounts of lead: Evaluation using zebrafish model
title_full_unstemmed Developmental adverse effects of trace amounts of lead: Evaluation using zebrafish model
title_short Developmental adverse effects of trace amounts of lead: Evaluation using zebrafish model
title_sort developmental adverse effects of trace amounts of lead evaluation using zebrafish model
topic zebrafish
lead
development
oxidative stress
endoplasmic reticulum stress
DOHAD
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1014912/full
work_keys_str_mv AT yutakomoike developmentaladverseeffectsoftraceamountsofleadevaluationusingzebrafishmodel
AT masatomatsuoka developmentaladverseeffectsoftraceamountsofleadevaluationusingzebrafishmodel