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Behavioral and immunotoxic effects of Prograf® (tacrolimus) in the male Siamese fighting fish

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Abstract

Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) has been extensively exploited in the behavioral and physiological toxicology studies of drugs. Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressant drug largely used in liver and renal transplantations. Here we found that a 7-day exposure of male B. splendens to concentrations of 0.05 and 0.1 µg/mL Prograf® (tacrolimus) caused alterations in aggression and immunity indexes. Tacrolimus exposed fish presented lower opercular display in a mirror test which is indicative of reduced aggression. In addition, serum levels of lysozyme, IgM, alternative complement, and bactericidal activity of subjects exposed to 0.1 µg/mL tacrolimus were lower than those from the control treatment. These results showed the behavioral impairment and immunotoxic impacts of tacrolimus in a model of aquatic toxicology. The results suggest fishes provide a possible model for better understanding of the drug action in vertebrates, and possible consequences for the environment via its effects on non-target organisms in an ecotoxicology context.

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Acknowledgements

This study was partly funded by the Young Researchers and Elite Club, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

    Arash Javanshir Khoei

  2. Young Researchers and Elite Club, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

    Mohammad Navid Forsatkar

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Eastern Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia

    Culum Brown

Authors
  1. Arash Javanshir Khoei
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  2. Mohammad Navid Forsatkar
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  3. Culum Brown
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Correspondence to Mohammad Navid Forsatkar.

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Javanshir Khoei, A., Forsatkar, M.N. & Brown, C. Behavioral and immunotoxic effects of Prograf® (tacrolimus) in the male Siamese fighting fish. Ecotoxicology 28, 1032–1037 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-019-02103-4

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