Antagonistic interaction between caffeine and ketamine in zebrafish: Implications for aquatic toxicity.
Environmental science and ecotechnology September 1, 2024 Zhenglu Wang, Jindong Xu, Wei Du 6 citations
Caffeine and ketamine, both found in surface waters across Asia, interact in a way that reduces caffeine's harmful effects on zebrafish larvae. Ketamine at concentrations of 10-250 ng L-1 counteracts the hyperactivity and disrupted daily rhythms caused by 2 mg L-1 of caffeine, with the effect depending on dose. Developmental abnormalities in larvae exposed to caffeine drop from 26.7% to 6.7% when ketamine is present. The two chemicals compete for binding sites on the GABA-A receptor, explaining their antagonistic relationship. After seven days of recovery, caffeine's adverse effects persist, while those in the caffeine-plus-ketamine groups lessen, especially at 10 ng L-1 of ketamine. The findings highlight the need to assess risks of co-pollution and suggest that nighttime fish behavior may serve as a sensitive toxicity biomarker.