Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Lipid Impairment in the Liver of Adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Exposed to Carbendazim

Abstract

Carbendazim is a systemic fungicide used in several countries, particularly in Brazil. However, studies suggest that it is related to the promotion of tumors, endocrine disruption, and toxicity to organisms, among other effects. As a result, carbendazim is not allowed in the United States, Australia, and some European Union countries. Therefore, further studies are necessary to evaluate its effects, and zebrafish is a model routinely used to provide relevant information regarding the acute and long-term effects of xenobiotics. In this way, zebrafish water tank samples (water samples from aquari containing zebrafish) and liver samples from animals exposed to carbendazim at a concentration of 120 μg/L were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry, followed by multivariate and univariate statistical analyses, using the metabolomics approach. Our results suggest impairment of lipid metabolism with a consequent increase in intrahepatic lipids and endocrine disruption. Furthermore, the results suggest two endogenous metabolites as potential biomarkers to determine carbendazim exposure. Finally, the present study showed that it is possible to use zebrafish water tank samples to assess the dysregulation of endogenous metabolites to understand biological effects.