Environmental Toxicity Assessment of Sodium Fluoride and Platinum-Derived Drugs Co-Exposure on Aquatic Organisms

Pharmaceuticals are widely acknowledged to be a threat to aquatic life. Over the last two decades, the steady use of biologically active chemicals for human health has been mirrored by a rise in the leaking of these chemicals into natural environments. The aim of this work was to detect the toxicity of sodium fluoride (NaF) exposure and platinum-derived drugs in an ecological setting on aquatic organism development. From 24 to 96 h post-fertilization, zebrafish embryos were treated to dosages of NaF 10 mg/L-1 + cisplatin (CDDP) 100 mu M, one with NaF 10 mg/L-1 + carboplatin (CARP) 25 mu M, one with NaF 10 mg/L-1 + CDDP 100 mu M + CARP 25 mu M. Fluoride exposure in combination with Cisplatin and Carboplatin (non-toxic concentration) had an effect on survival and hatching rate according to this study. Additionally, it significantly disturbed the antioxidant defense system and increased ROS in zebrafish larvae. NaF 10 mg/L-1 associated with CDDP 100 mu M and CARP 25 mu M, increased the production of apoptosis-related proteins (caspase 3, bax, and bcl-2) and the downregulation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, while no effect was seen for the single exposure.

Automated summary

Pharmaceuticals pose a threat to aquatic life. In this study, the toxicity of sodium fluoride and platinum-derived drugs on the development of zebrafish was investigated. The results showed that the combination of fluoride, cisplatin, and carboplatin affected survival and hatching rate, disrupted the antioxidant defense system, and increased the production of apoptosis-related proteins and downregulated acetylcholinesterase activity.