Assessment of the effects of the anti-inflammatory drugs diclofenac and ibuprofen, isolated and in mixture, on biochemical and genotoxic biomarkers of the neotropical teleost Astyanax lacustris

• Grant number: 24/16052-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Compared Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Renata Guimarães Moreira Whitton
• Grantee: Amanda Cartucho de Jesus
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In recent years, the presence of new anthropogenic compounds has been reported in aquatic ecosystems around the world. Following this global pattern, the presence of a wide variety of new chemical substances, such as pharmaceuticals, has also been reported in water bodies in Brazil, since our country is among the largest economies in the world and has a high level of consumption of these substances. Pharmaceuticals are considered Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC), that is, they can cause impacts on the health of organisms, but are not regulated by environmental legislation. Currently, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) occupy the leading position among CECs present in Brazilian aquatic ecosystems. The continuous flow of NSAIDs from sewage treatment plants represents a serious threat to aquatic fauna, which is constantly exposed to these biologically active compounds, since these contaminants can interfere at different levels of animal physiology, leading, for example, to changes in cellular redox balance, neuroendocrine control of metabolism, development, reproduction and physiological adaptations of teleosts in response to stress stimuli. However, information regarding the toxicity of NSAIDs to aquatic biota is limited, especially for species of Brazilian fauna. In this project, two drugs were selected, identified in relevant concentrations in water bodies of the State of São Paulo, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen (IBU) and diclofenac (DCF), and the action of these drugs will be evaluated on the physiology of the teleost Astyanax lacustris, used as a biological model in ecotoxicological tests. Using in vivo experimental strategies, environmentally relevant concentrations of these drugs, and biomarkers of exposure and effect, our objective is to evaluate the isolated and combined effects of IBU and DCF on biochemical and genetic variables in sexually mature males of A. lacustris.