Evaluation of the potential neuroprotective effects of Gardenin A on Nothobranchius furzeri exposed to Bifenthrin

Details

Supervisors

Silvestre, Frédéric ; Page, Melissa

Faculty

Faculté des sciences

Degree label

Master [120] en biologie des organismes et écologie, à finalité approfondie

Abstract

The widespread use of pesticides has become a critical issue in ecotoxicology, raising serious concerns about their impact. Beyond their detrimental effects on wildlife, these chemicals are also associated with a growing incidence of neurodegenerative disorders in humans. This study aimed to demonstrate and characterize the deleterious effects of sub-lethal exposure to bifenthrin in Notobranchius furzeri. Additionally, we tested whether gardenin A, a novel neuroprotective compound, can prevail or not the neurotoxic effects of bifenthrin in the turquoise killifish. Our primary goal was to evaluate the potential risks faced by the fish in its natural habitat. Furthermore, we explored the potential of N. furzeri as a Parkinson's disease model, as its short lifespan and notable similarities to human aging could accelerate research progress. A 10 μg/L treatment of bifenthrin significantly impacted locomotor behaviour in larvae (2 weeks post-hatching) by decreasing their distance travelled dramatically during the visual motor response assay. Additionally, the responses towards a sudden stimulus were altered by this treatment both in larvae and adult fish (6 weeks post-hatching). 10 mg/L exposure of gardenin A prior to the bifenthrin’s appeared to lower the neurotoxic effects in some of our tests. This preventive treatment significantly attenuated locomotion loss in larvae while the stunning effect induced by bifenthrin in adults was also mitigate. The expression of several Parkinson’s disease related genes (TH, SNCA, PARK 7, PINK 1, PARK 2 and SLC18A2) were evaluated with the purpose of establishing links with our behavioural results, but no significant differences were observed between our conditions.