Gene

Ecology

Biology

Pesticide

Endocrinology

Biochemistry

Immunology

Organic chemistry

Superoxide dismutase

Catalase

Toxicity

Toxicology

Oxidative stress

Pharmacology

Gut flora

Chemistry

Imidacloprid

Zebrafish

Neonicotinoid

Danio

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology

Neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid (IMI) is widely used in agriculture, and its repeated application may result in environmental pollution. Recently, the toxicity of IMI to non-target animals has received increasing attention. In the current study, adult zebrafish were exposed to low concentrations of IMI (100 and 1000 μg/L) for 21 days. The results showed that IMI exposure induced intestinal histological injury and oxidative stress in the gut of zebrafish, and the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) were noticeably increased. Furthermore, IMI exposure also resulted in higher intestinal LPS levels and significant increases in the expression of inflammatory factors. Simultaneously, IMI exposure also slightly induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and specific bacteria alterations. These findings indicated that low concentrations of IMI could induce gut toxicity in adult zebrafish, which could provide new insights into the potential risks of IMI to aquatic animals.

Low concentrations of imidacloprid exposure induced gut toxicity in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)