Journal of Environmental Biology

Effect of caffeine, norfloxacin and nimesulide on heartbeat

and VEGF expression of zebrafish larvae

Author Details

Chiranjib Chakraborty

School of Bioscience and Technology, VIT University, Vellore - 632 014, India

C.H. Hsu

Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, College of Marine Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohisung - 80424, Taiwan

Z.H. Wen

Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, College of Marine Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohisung - 80424, Taiwan

C.S. Lin

Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, College of Marine Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohisung - 80424, Taiwan

Govindasamy Agoramoorthy

(Corresponding author)

Department of Pharmacy, Tajen University, Yanpu, Pingtung 907, Taiwan

e-mail: agoram@mail.tajen.edu.tw

Publication Data

Paper received:

23 September 2009

Revised received:

04 April 2010

Accepted:

05 May 2010

Abstract

The use of pharmaceuticals during pregnancy may causes abnormalities to the embryo. Sometime the drug also effect to the new born if the drug transferred through lactation. We have used zebrafish model to see the effect of some pharmaceuticals on embryos and larvae. Three drugs, caffeine, norfloxacin and nimesulide, were used for this study to see the effect mainly the hatching rate of eggs, heart beat rate and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression of the larvae. VEGF is an important signaling protein that involved generating the new blood vessels during embryonic development. We have used 10, 20, 50, 100 µg ml^-1 concentrations of all the drugs to see the effect. No significant mortality or malformations were observed in zebrafish embryos. Hatching was stared from 60 hr. In control group, 91% hatching rate was observed.  Lowest hatching rate was observed using highest concentration of norfloxacin (100 µg ml^-1) and nimesulide (100 µg ml^-1) i.e.  55 and 56% respectively. In control group, 110 to 115 heart beat rate was counted per minute. Significantly higher heart beat was observed in caffeine treated group which is 125 to140 min^-1. Lower heart beat was noted in nimesulide treated group which is 100 min^-1. We have tried to observe the possible effect of VEGF of the larvae by these three drugs. Expression of VEGF was very low in caffeine treated group. Almost no VGF expression was observe in 100 µg ml^-1 caffeine treated group. These studies suggest that there is a possibility that high dosage of caffeine can harm the unborn baby or new born babies, if the mothers use caffeine.

Key words

Caffeine, Norfloxacin, Nimesulide, Heart beat rate, VEGF, Zebrafish

Copyright © 2011 Triveni Enterprises. All rights reserved. No part of the Journal can be reproduced in any form without prior permission. Responsibility regarding the authenticity of the data, and the acceptability of the conclusions enforced or derived, rest completely with the author(s).