SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
2 papers in the library · 12 citations · publishing 2024-2025
Esketamine (ESK), the S-enantiomer of ketamine, alters behaviors and gene transcription in zebrafish larvae at environmentally relevant concentrations. At 12.4 ng L⁻¹, ESK reduced touch response at 48 hours post-fertilization and decreased swimming time and distance in the outer zone during light periods, suggesting reduced anxiety. ESK also increased transcription of dopamine pathway genes (th, ddc, drd1a, drd3, drd4a) and GABA pathway genes (slc6a1b, slc6a13, slc12a2). These results indicate that ESK can cause neurotoxicity in early-stage zebrafish by affecting heart rate, behaviors, and gene expression in dopamine and GABA pathways.
Esketamine (ESK), a hallucinogenic new psychoactive substance found in surface waters worldwide, causes developmental toxicity and endocrine disruption in zebrafish. Zebrafish embryos exposed to low and medium concentrations (0.12 and 1.02 μg/L) showed increased embryo area, yolk sac size, and upregulated vitellogenin (vtg) gene expression, while the highest concentration (10.6 μg/L) produced opposite effects. After 14 days, ESK altered circadian rhythm, DNA repair, and estrogen signaling pathways, and elevated vitellogenin protein levels, consistent with its binding affinity for estrogen receptors. These findings indicate that environmentally relevant ESK concentrations pose ecological risks to fish.