ToxSci Advance Access originally published online on November 4, 2003
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Toxicological Sciences 76, 392-399 (2003)
Copyright © 2003 by the Society of Toxicology
NEUROTOXICOLOGY |
Neurodevelopmental Defects in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) at Environmentally Relevant Dioxin (TCDD) Concentrations


* Laboratory for Environmental Gene Regulation, School of Biological Sciences, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool Merseyside L69 7ZB, United Kingdom;
Toxico-Pathology Research Group, Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ashton Street Building, University of Liverpool L69 3PX, U.K.; and
IGBMC BP10142, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch, France
Persistent ecotoxicants, such as dioxin and PCBs, are thought to pose one of the greatest threats to public and ecological health in the industrial world. These compounds cause a range of macroscopic malformations, particularly to the craniofacial apparatus and cardiovascular system during vertebrate development. However, little is known about microscopic effects, especially on the sensitive early life stages or on the molecular basis of developmental neurotoxicity. Using zebrafish (Danio rerio), we have explored neurological deficits caused by early-life exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of dioxin. We show, using a quantitative stereological technique, that 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) substantially reduces the capacity for embryonic brain development, causing a 30% reduction in total neuronal number in the 168-h larval brain. Using transgenic GFP-expressing zebrafish lines, we link this to decreased expression of key developmentally regulated genes, namely neurogenin and sonic hedgehog. This disruption of neuronal development provides the basis for understanding the neurotoxic effects of these compounds.
Key Words: neurotoxicity; TCDD; zebrafish; embryo; sonic hedgehog; neurogenin.
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