Development of cardiovascular and neurodevelopmental metrics as sublethal endpoints for the fish embryo toxicity testShow full item record
Title | Development of cardiovascular and neurodevelopmental metrics as sublethal endpoints for the fish embryo toxicity test |
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Author | Krzykwa, Julie Christina |
Date | 2020 |
Genre | Dissertation |
Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
Abstract | The fish embryo toxicity (FET) test has been proposed as a more humane alternative to other aquatic toxicology test methods. However, its adoption by regulatory agencies has been limited due to its inability to predict sublethal adverse effects and its lack of sensitivity for some test compounds, such as neurotoxicants. A proposed solution to these limitations is the development of alternative endpoints for the FET test. The goal of this dissertation was to investigate the predictive power of three developmental abnormalities that have been proposed as sublethal endpoints for the FET test: snout-vent length, eye size, and pericardial edema, quantified as pericardial area. To evaluate the ability of these metrics to predict adverse effects, methods were developed for assays that assessed the neurological and cardiovascular function of larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). The ability of the proposed sublethal endpoints to predict alterations in the developed assays was evaluated using three compounds: cadmium, 3,4-dichloroaniline, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. The results of this dissertation indicate that while the proposed endpoints are not predictive of altered neurological or cardiovascular function/development, snout-vent length and pericardial area may have potential to be markers of mortality. The inclusion of both endpoints led to LC50 estimates that were lower than those published in the literature for fish embryo acute toxicity tests for two out of the three compounds evaluated. This project both expanded the utility of the fathead minnow as a model organism by developing assays for the assessment of neurological and cardiovascular function in larval fathead minnows, and revealed that the incorporation of snout-vent length and pericardial edema as markers of mortality has the potential to increase the sensitivity of the FET test. |
Link | https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/39855 |
Department | Biology |
Advisor | Jeffries, Marlo |
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- Doctoral Dissertations [1526]
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