The antidepressant venlafaxine perturbs cardiac development and function in larval zebrafish

Area of Science:

• Environmental toxicology
• Cardiovascular physiology
• Developmental biology

Background:

• Venlafaxine, a widely prescribed antidepressant, is found in waterways.
• Previous studies showed venlafaxine disrupts nervous system development and reduces larval zebrafish activity.
• The impact of venlafaxine on cardiac function in early life stages was unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of venlafaxine exposure on larval zebrafish heart development and function.
• To test the hypothesis that zygotic venlafaxine exposure impacts cardiac development and function.

Main Methods:

• Zebrafish embryos were exposed to venlafaxine (0, 1, or 10 ng) via microinjection.
• Heart development and function were assessed at various hours post-fertilization (hpf).
• Waterborne exposure and 5HT_1A receptor antagonist NAN-190 were used to investigate mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Venlafaxine exposure led to precocious heart development, including increased heart size and rate.
• Both zygotic and waterborne exposure mimicked these cardiac effects.
• The elevated heart rate was linked to 5HT_1A receptor activity and decreased at later stages.

Conclusions:

• Early-life venlafaxine exposure significantly disrupts cardiac development in zebrafish.
• The antidepressant can compromise cardiovascular performance in larval zebrafish.
• Serotonin pathway modulation via 5HT_1A receptors is implicated in venlafaxine's cardiac effects.