Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam affect synaptic transmission in zebrafish

Imidacloprid (IMI) and thiamethoxam (THM) are two commonly applied neonicotinoid insecticides. IMI and THM could cause negative impacts on non-target organisms like bees. However, the information about neurotoxicity of IMI and THM in fish is still scarce. Here we investigated the effects of IMI and THM on locomotor behavior, AChE activity, and transcription of genes related to synaptic transmission in zebrafish exposed to IMI and THM with concentrations of 50 ng L−1 to 50,000 ng L−1 at 14 day post fertilization (dpf), 21 dpf, 28 dpf and 35 dpf. Our results showed that IMI and THM significantly influenced the locomotor activity in larvae at 28 dpf and 35 dpf. THM elevated AChE activity at 28 dpf. The qPCR data revealed that IMI and THM affected the transcription of marker genes belonging to the synapse from 14 dpf to 35 dpf. Furthermore, IMI and THM mainly affected transcription of key genes in γ-aminobutyric acid, dopamine and serotonin pathways in larvae at 28 dpf and 35 dpf. These results demonstrated the neurotoxicity of IMI and THM in zebrafish. The findings from this study suggested that IMI and THM in the aquatic environment may pose potential risks to fish fitness and survival.