The Effect of Acute Erythromycin Exposure on the Swimming Ability of Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) and Medaka (<i>Oryzias latipes</i>)

• Main Authors: Yanyi Li, Jiabo Zhang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-05-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: erythromycin; swimming ability; mRNA; <i>Oryzias latipes</i>; <i>Danio rerio</i>
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/10/3389

Erythromycin is a widely used antibiotic, and erythromycin contamination may pose a threat to aquatic organisms. However, little is known about the adverse effects of erythromycin on swimming ability. To quantify erythromycin-induced damage to fish swimming ability, <i>Oryzias latipes</i> and <i>Danio rerio</i> were acutely exposed to erythromycin. The swimming ability of the experimental fish was measured after exposure to varying doses of erythromycin (2 µg/L, 20 µg/L, 200 µg/L, and 2 mg/L) for 96 h. Burst speed (U_burst) and critical swimming speed (U_crit) of experimental fish significantly decreased. In addition, gene expression analysis of <i>O. latipes</i> and <i>D. rerio</i> under erythromycin treatment (2 mg/L) showed that the expression of genes related to energy metabolism in the muscle was significantly reduced in both species of fish. However, the gene expression pattern in the head of the two species was differentially impacted; <i>D. rerio</i> showed endocrine disruption, while phototransduction was impacted in <i>O. latipes</i>. The results of our study may be used as a reference to control erythromycin pollution in natural rivers.