25-hydroxycholesterol impairs neuronal and muscular development in zebrafish.

In this study, we examined the effects of 25-HC exposure on the nervous system development in the zebrafish. We showed that survival rate of zebrafish embryos/larvae is significantly decreased at doses of 25-HC above 40 μM. 25-HC was found to affect the motility of zebrafish larvae, primary motor axon and muscle morphology. Furthermore, larvae treated with 25-HC showed a reduced neuronal network and number of HuC-positive cells in the brain. An increased cell death was also observed in both the brain and spinal cord of zebrafish treated with 25-HC. Interestingly, administration of 25-HC at later stages of development (24 and 48 hours post fertilization) had no detrimental effects on motor axons. Altogether, our findings show that elevated levels of 25-HC may have important consequences on neuronal development and cell survival.
PMID: 31449834 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Neurotoxicology - August 22, 2019 Category: Neurology Authors: Jamadagni P, Patten SA Tags: Neurotoxicology Source Type: research