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Author
López González, Natalia
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Abstract
Rapid population growth and technological advancement have resulted in countless pollutants and exposures to environmental toxins. This has generated a vital need for toxin surveillance, identification of the consequences of exposure, and understanding of the biological and chemical mechanisms underlying these effects.
In recent years, there is a growing interest in biological models to investigate the effect of these pollutants on the levels of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS). Zebrafish, an increasingly used vertebrate model in neurobiology and neurotoxicology, share neurotransmission systems with mammals, such as serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine, epinephrine, GABA, glycine, acetylcholine, and histamine.
Today, many studies focus on the development of analytical methodologies for metabolomics research. However, only a few studies investigate changes in neurotransmitter profiles in zebrafish when exposed to a contaminant. Here we review the different analytical techniques used to analyze the concentration of different neurotransmitters and the quality parameters. In addition, the effect of exposure to different environmental pollutants on the metabolic profile of zebrafish is evaluated by looking for information in different studies and also the biological effects. These results have differentiated between the larvae and the adult zebrafish so that the adult has a fully mature central nervous system and in the larvae it is still developing.
Finally, the results have shown that exposure to different pollutants deregulates neurotransmitter levels and the behavior of zebrafish can be altered.
Keywords: environmental toxins, neurotransmitters, zebrafish, metabolic profile, biological effects, behavior.
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