Neuromodulatory and oxidative stress evaluations in African catfish Clarias gariepinus exposed to antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine

Abstract

Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is among the most famous drugs used for the treatment of psychosis such as delusions, hallucinations, schizophrenia, paranoia, or disordered thought in humans. In the present study, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and oxidative stress parameters in the brain of Clarias gariepinus juveniles exposed to CPZ were investigated. Fish were exposed to 0.53, 1.56, and 2.11 mg/L corresponding to 5, 10, and 20% of the 96 h LC₅₀ of CPZ on C. gariepinus, respectively. The fish brain was sampled on days 1, 7, 14, and after 7-days recovery. Our results indicate that AChE values were significantly higher in exposed groups compared to the control on days 7, 14, and 7-days recovery. The values of lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) increased compared to the control while catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly declined at higher CBZ concentrations. While LPO and CAT returned to the same range as the control values after the 7-day withdrawal from the drug, AChE, SOD, GR, and GPx did not. The use and disposal of CPZ should be strictly regulated to avoid possible ecotoxicological impacts on non-target organisms.

Keywords:

• Chlorpromazine
• fish
• brain
• acetylcholinesterase
• oxidative tress

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Head of Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology Department University of Nigeria, Nsukka for permission to access to the laboratory facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).