Developmental and cardiovascular toxicities of acetochlor and its chiral isomers in zebrafish embryos through oxidative stress

Acetochlor (ACT) is a widely used pesticide, yet the environmental and health safety of its chiral isomers remains inadequately evaluated. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of ACT and its chiral isomers in a zebrafish model. Our findings demonstrate that ACT and its chiral isomers disrupt early zebrafish embryo development, inducing oxidative stress, abnormal lipid metabolism, and apoptosis. Additionally, ACT and its chiral isomers lead to cardiovascular damage, including reduced heart rate, decreased red blood cell (RBC) flow rate, and vascular damage. We further observed that (+)-S-ACT has a significant impact on the transcription of genes involved in cardiac and vascular development, including tbx5, hand2, nkx2.5, gata4, vegfa, dll4, cdh5, and vegfc. Our study highlights the potential risk posed by different conformations of chiral isomeric pesticides and raises concerns regarding their impact on human health. Overall, our results suggest that the chiral isomers of ACT induce developmental defects and cardiovascular toxicity in zebrafish, with (+)-S-ACT being considerably more toxic to zebrafish than (-)-R-ACT.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the toxicity of the pesticide acetochlor (ACT) and its chiral isomers in a zebrafish model. The results showed that ACT and its chiral isomers disrupt zebrafish embryo development, induce oxidative stress, abnormal lipid metabolism, and apoptosis. Additionally, they also cause cardiovascular damage, including reduced heart rate, decreased red blood cell flow rate, and vascular damage. Furthermore, the study found that (+)-S-ACT has a significant impact on genes involved in cardiac and vascular development. These findings raise concerns about the potential risks and impact on human health posed by chiral isomeric pesticides.