Behavioral Changes and Metabolic Responses of Adult Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Exposed to Methamphetamine

Toxicological mechanisms in zebrafishexposed to psychoactivesubstances at environmentally relevant concentrations by untargetedmetabolomics and behavioral characteristics were assessed. At sublethal concentrations, methamphetamine may stillhave adverseeffects on aquatic organisms. This study examined the behavioral andmetabolomic response of adult zebrafish (Danio Rerio) exposed to methamphetamine at three concentrations in comparisonto the control. We found that even at low concentrations, metaboliceffects and behavioral changes were observed. We profiled the metabolitesfrom zebrafish brain after methamphetamine exposure. A total of 11,23, and 28 dysfunctional metabolites at three exposure concentrationswere respectively identified relative to the control, mainly includinglyso-phosphatidylethanolamine, lyso-phosphatidylcholine, amino acids,carnitine, and long-chain fatty acids. Methamphetamine exposure mightinduce oxidative stress, energy metabolism disorders, and inflammation-associateddiseases in zebrafish. Seven metabolic pathways related to the disruptionof amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism were affected in allthree exposure groups, including the biosynthesis of phenylalanine,tyrosine, and tryptophan, phenylalanine metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism.The anxiety levels of individuals exposed to methamphetamine wereelevated, whereas their social interaction, as well as learning andmemory, were depressed. Further ecologically important effects mayoccur due to the modification of fish behavior.

Automated summary

The toxicological mechanisms of psychoactive substances in zebrafish at environmentally relevant concentrations were studied using untargeted metabolomics and behavioral characteristics. Even at sublethal concentrations, methamphetamine had adverse effects on aquatic organisms. This study analyzed the behavioral and metabolomic response of adult zebrafish exposed to methamphetamine at three concentrations compared to a control group. The results showed that metabolic effects and behavioral changes were observed even at low concentrations. Methamphetamine exposure in zebrafish could induce oxidative stress, energy metabolism disorders, and inflammation-associated diseases. The anxiety levels of exposed individuals were elevated, while their social interaction, learning, and memory were depressed. The modification of fish behavior could have further ecologically important effects.