| The release of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) into surface waters and their consequent effects is an area of emerging interest in environmental toxicology. This study is designed to evaluate the influence of two commonly prescribed antidepressants, venlafaxine and fluoxetine, separately on food intake in the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). Fish were exposed to venlafaxine at nominal concentrations of 3.2, 32 and 320 microg/l, with one control group. The results from two trials indicate that there were no differences in the food consumption of medaka exposed to 3.2 and 32 microg/l venlafaxine. In the highest venlafaxine treatment of 320 microg/l, the medaka consumed significantly less food than fish in the control treatment. In a separate experiment, fish were exposed to 0.32, 3.2, and 32 microg/l fluoxetine. In this trial, fish from the 0.32 and 3.2 microg/l treatments ate significantly more than the 32 microg/l treatment group. Additionally, calculations showed fluoxetine and venlafaxine moderately accumulate in fish tissues and the major metabolites found in fish tissue were norfluoxetine and n-desmethylvenlafaxine, respectively. This research shows that effects on food intake are noted in fish exposed to both fluoxetine and venlafaxine at concentrations 2 orders of magnitude higher than the concentrations found in surface water near sewage discharges.Keywords: antidepressants, feeding, Japanese medaka, venlafaxine, fluoxetine, bioconcentration... |
