Banca de DEFESA: ANA LUISA PIRES MOREIRA

SUNSCREENS:PROTECTION OR THREAT? EFFECTS OF OXYBENZONE EXPOSURE IN ZEBRAFISH (Danio rerio)

POLLUTANTS; NEUROTOXICITY, ONTOGENICS, BEHAVIOR, UV FILTER

Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) has been the most widely used ultraviolet filter (UV filter) in sunscreens. Its broad use by industries results in continuous discharge into aquatic environments, leading aquatic biota and humans to continuous exposure. The consequences of BP-3 exposure on the physiology of animals have been investigated, including their neurotoxic effects and as an endocrine disruptor. However, little is known about its consequences in longterm developmental and behavioral endpoints. This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of BP-3 exposure on behavioral and cognitive responses in zebrafish and evaluate biomarkers of oxidative stress and neurotoxicity. For this, we exposed zebrafish embryos (6-96 hpf exposure) and adults (15 days exposure) to BP-3 to evaluate the pollutant consequences. We analyzed anxiety-like behavior, social preference, aggressiveness, learning, and memory as behavioral endpoints, as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, the enzymatic activity of the antioxidant defenses system, and neurotoxic biomarkers (GST, CAT and AChE), and expression of genes related to the antioxidant defenses. In general, animals exposed to BP3 showed increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced social preference. Cognition, in terms of learning and memory, was damaged by BP-3 exposure. The increase in ROS was accompanied by an increase in sod2 and cat gene expression and an increase in GST activity and decreased CAT activity. The biochemical changes caused by BP-3 exposure in larvae were maintained in adulthood. The behavioral and cognitive alterations associated with the biochemical responses found are critical for the survival of several species, represented here by the animal and translational zebrafish model. The continued exposure to personal care products that contain high concentrations of UV filters, whether based on oxybenzone or another organic filter, has harmful physiological effects and should be avoided. We must consider new types of UV filters and change our habits for a safer life and environment.