Exposure to Crude Oil Induces Retinal Apoptosis and Impairs Visual Function in Fish
Jason T. Magnuson, Naim M. Bautista, JoAnn Lucero, Amie K. Lund, Elvis Genbo Xu, Daniel Schlenk, Warren W. Burggren, Aaron P. Roberts
Abstract
) at 4 h post fertilization were exposed to weathered crude oil and assessed for visual function using an optokinetic response, with subsequent samples taken for immunohistochemistry and gene expression analysis. Cardiotoxicity was also assessed by measuring the heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output, as cardiac performance has been proposed to be a contributing factor to eye-associated malformations following oil exposure. Larvae exposed to the highest concentrations of crude oil (89.8 μg/L) exhibited an increased occurrence of bradycardia, though no changes in stroke volume or cardiac output were observed. However, genes important in eye development and phototransduction were downregulated in oil-exposed larvae, with an increased occurrence of cellular apoptosis, reduced neuronal connection, and reduced optokinetic behavioral response in zebrafish larvae.