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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Aquatic Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1557647
This article is part of the Research TopicEmerging Contaminants and Aquatic Ecosystem HealthView all 5 articles
Evaluating the Effects of Pharmaceutical Pollutants on Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio): Histopathological and Antioxidant Responses
Provisionally accepted- 1Benha University, Benha, Qalyubia, Egypt
- 2Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
- 3Sungkyunkwan University, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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The release of pharmaceutical chemicals into aquatic environments has emerged as a significant ecological concern, originating from agricultural runoff, sewage effluents, and improper disposal of medications. This study investigates the impacts of four common pharmaceuticals (bromazepam, naproxen, metoprolol, and sotalol) on common carp (Cyprinus carpio), a vital bioindicator species. We evaluated neurological, immunological, and histopathological responses in carp exposed to these pharmaceuticals over 15 days. Neurological assessments showed significant reductions in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) activities, and nitric oxide (NO) levels, indicating potential disruptions in neurotransmission and enzyme function. Immunological analysis revealed elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), suggesting an inflammatory response.Histopathological examinations identified tissue alterations in the liver, kidney, and spleen, which correlated with the observed biochemical and immune responses. These findings highlight the adverse effects of pharmaceutical contaminants on aquatic species, emphasizing the necessity for comprehensive environmental risk assessments and strategies to mitigate their impact. This study enhances the understanding of pharmaceutical pollutants' ecological effects, informing policy and conservation efforts to protect aquatic ecosystems.
Keywords: Pharmaceutical pollutants, aquatic ecosystems, Cyprinus carpio, neurological effects, immunological response
Received: 10 Jan 2025; Accepted: 20 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Shaalan, Idriss, Lee and Sayed. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Alaa El-Din Hamid Sayed, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
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