Differential effects of antidepressant sertraline in glochidia-fish interactions involving drug transfer from parasite to host

• Published in: Aquatic toxicology 2024-08, Vol.273, p.107012, Article 107012
• Main Authors: Gregarová, Kateřina, Zhao, Shuran, Grabicová, Kateřina, Horký, Pavel, Grabic, Roman, Slavík, Ondřej, Randák, Tomáš, Douda, Karel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attachment rate; Ecotoxicology; Freshwater mussels; Glochidium; Host-parasite interaction; Pharmaceutical toxicity; Squalius cephalus; Unio tumidus
• ISSN: 0166-445X; 1879-1514; 1879-1514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2024.107012

•Exposure of fish hosts to 0.2 µg/L sertraline marginally enhanced parasite attachment success.•Exposure of parasitic glochidia to 4 µg/L sertraline influenced their spatial distribution on the host body.•The transfer of sertraline from glochidia to host fish was detected, revealing an unexpected pollutant dynamic. This study examined the impact of sertraline, an antidepressant common in treated wastewater, on the host-parasite dynamics between parasitic freshwater mussel (Unio tumidus, Unionidae) larvae (glochidia) and their host fish (Squalius cephalus, Cyprinidae). Employing a full-factorial design, both fish and glochidia were subjected to sertraline at the combinations of 0 µg L−1 (control), 0.2 µg L−1 (environmentally relevant concentration), and 4 µg L−1 (elevated concentration, short-term exposure of the parasite). The results showed that long-term host exposure (involving intensive sertraline accumulation in the fish brain) marginally increased subsequent glochidia attachment success by 2 %, while parasite exposure at the same environmentally relevant concentrations had no detectable effect. There was also no effect of exposure of glochidia to 0.2 µg L−1 of sertraline on their viability and encapsulation success during the initial parasitic stage. However, a significant alteration in attachment behavior, marked by a 3.3 % increase in attachment success and changes in the glochidia spatial distribution on the host body, was noted after 24 h of glochidia exposure to 4 µg L−1 of sertraline. Importantly, this study provides the first evidence of sertraline transfer from exposed glochidia to nonexposed host fish, as indicated by elevated levels of sertraline (12.8 ng g−1) in the brain tissue of nonexposed hosts. These findings highlight the subtle yet significant effects of pharmaceutical pollutants on freshwater ecosystems but also underscore the importance of understanding the unexpected dynamics of such contamination to predict and address future ecological changes.