Interaction of erythromycin and ketoconazole on the neurological, biochemical and behavioral responses in crucian carp

- Crucian carp bioaccumulated erythromycin and ketoconazole in the brain.
- Addition of ketoconazole increased erythromycin accumulation in the brain of fish.
- Erythromycin and ketoconazole induced biochemical and behavioral alterations in fish.
- Behaviour was a sensitive marker to assess exposure of ketoconazole.

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment has received great attention due to their potential impacts on public health. The single, as well as the combined toxicities of erythromycin (ERY) and ketoconazole (KCZ) on the bioaccumulation, biochemical and behavioral responses, were examined in crucian carp. This study focused on the uptake of contaminants, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the brain, swimming and shoaling behavior of fish. After 14 days of binary exposure, the addition of KCZ at nominal concentrations of 0.2, 2 and 20 μg/L significantly increased the accumulation of ERY in the brain of the fish and the bioconcentration factor of 2.08 was 2.6-fold higher than that calculated from the ERY-alone exposure. The brain AChE activity was significantly inhibited by ERY and KCZ with a significant correlation with respect to the accumulative concentration of the contaminants. The inhibition rates of swimming activity to KCZ were increased with a corresponding increase in the exposure concentration of KCZ in the single exposure. However, this manner was altered by the combined exposure. In addition, shoaling was significantly enhanced by KCZ-alone exposure, which was significantly correlated with the swimming activity. This study indicates that the mixture of the contaminants may cause endocrine disrupting effects and behavior modification especially in fish with known ecological and evolutionary consequences.

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