Evaluation of Respiratory Toxicity Potential of Acrylamide in Zebrafish: Oxidative Stress Parameters, mRNAs Expression, and Histomorphological Changes in Gills

Anthropogenic contamination of surface water by chemicals is a worldwide concern, which affects human health and aquatic organisms including fish. Acrylamide (ACR), a Neo-Formed Contaminants (NFC) leads to serious toxic effects on the respiratory system of marine inhabitants. The mechanisms underlying ACR-induced oxidative stress and altered mRNA expressions in zebrafish are unclear. The present investigation aimed to evaluate the effects of ACR exposure for 28 days on the activity or level of antioxidant response elements (ARE), mRNA expressions of antioxidant genes and histomorphological changes in the gills of adult zebrafish. The 270 adult zebrafish were randomly allocated into 03 experimental groups viz. control group, T1 group (ACR: 8.5 mg/L) and T2 group (ACR: 17 mg/L). After 28 days of ACR exposure, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly (p