Exposure to amitriptyline induces persistent gut damages and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Yanhong Shi; Chen Chen; Xiangyang Wu; Ziming Han; Shanshuo Zhang; Kun Chen; Xuchun Qiu

doi:10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109417

Exposure to amitriptyline induces persistent gut damages and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol. 2022 Oct:260:109417. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109417. Epub 2022 Jul 21.

Authors

Yanhong Shi¹, Chen Chen², Xiangyang Wu¹, Ziming Han³, Shanshuo Zhang⁴, Kun Chen¹, Xuchun Qiu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China.
² Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
⁴ Henan Division GRG Metrology and Test Co., Ltd, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
⁵ Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China. Electronic address: xuchunqiu@ujs.edu.cn.

PMID: 35872240
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109417

Abstract

Amitriptyline (AMI), the most commonly prescribed tricyclic antidepressant, is widely detected in water environments. Exposure to AMI may lead to diverse adverse effects on aquatic organisms, but little is known about the effect of short-term exposure to AMI on the gut microbiota of aquatic organisms and their recovery characteristics. In the present study, adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to AMI (0, 2.5, 10, and 40 μg/L) for seven days, and then allowed to recover in AMI-free culture water for 21 days. The exposure caused gut damages in all the AMI treated groups of zebrafish, which became more severe after recovery compared to the control group. AMI exposure also disturbed the microbiota of zebrafish guts and rearing water even after the 21-day recovery period. Furthermore, AMI exposure affected microbes involved in the substance and energy metabolic functions in zebrafish guts and tended to increase the abundance of microbial genera associated with opportunistic pathogens. In addition, the microbial predicted metabolic functions in AMI-exposed guts of zebrafish were significantly altered after the 21-day recovery period, explaining the persistent effects of short-term exposure to AMI. The results of this study suggest that acute exposure to AMI may have persistent impacts on the gut histomorphology and the gut microbiota in aquatic organisms.

Keywords: Adult zebrafish; Amitriptyline; Emerging contaminants; Gut microbiota; Recovery.

MeSH terms

Amitriptyline / toxicity
Animals
Dysbiosis / chemically induced
Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / toxicity
Zebrafish

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water
Amitriptyline