Lipidomic Profiling Study on Neurobehavior Toxicity in Zebrafish Treated with Aflatoxin B1

Abstract

Mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has been proved to cause neurotoxicity, but its potential interference with the normal function of brain tissue is not fully defined. As the indispensable role of lipids in maintaining the normal function of brain tissue, the aim of this study is to clarify the effect of AFB1 exposure on brain tissue from the perspective of lipid metabolism. In this study, zebrafish were exposed to two concentrations (5, 20 μg/L). Through quantitative analysis of AFB1, the accumulation of AFB1 in zebrafish brain tissue was discovered for the first time, combined with the changes in zebrafish neurobehavior, the occurrence of brain injury was deduced. Subsequently, 1734 lipids in zebrafish brain tissue were mapped using ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-IMS-MS), which has great advantages in lipid detection. Comparative analysis of the abnormal lipid metabolism in zebrafish brain revealed 114 significantly changed lipids, mainly involving two pathways of sphingolipid metabolism and fatty acid degradation. This study discovered the accumulation of AFB1 in the brain and revealed a potential link between AFB1-induced behavioral abnormalities and lipid metabolism disorders in brain tissue, providing reliable evidence for elucidating the neurotoxicity of AFB1.

Note:
Funding Information: The work was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China [2018YFC1603000] and Science and Technology Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences [CAAS-ASTIP-IQSTAP].

Conflict of Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval: This study conformed to the Chinese legislation and was approved by the Independent Animal Ethics Committee of the Institute of Quality Standards and Testing Technology for Agro-Products.

Keywords: Aflatoxin B1, Lipidomics, brain tissue, zebrafish, behavior analysis