Multiple biomarker responses in Female Clarias gariepinus exposed to Acetaminophen

Abstract There are increasing concerns over the detection of acetaminophen (APAP) in surface and ground waters across the globe. Its impacts on non-target aquatic organisms have often been under monitored due to cost implication with specific biomarkers in the exposed organisms increasing the underestimation of the impacts of APAP thus generating some questions on the credibility of the choice single monitored marker. This study evaluated the possible multi-toxic effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of APAP in female catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed for 28 days using multiple biomarkers. Our results show that acetaminophen triggered oxidative stress with superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) activities significantly differ in the acetaminophen-exposed female catfish from the control. Histopathological alterations in the liver of acetaminophen-exposed female fish showed apoptotic hyperplasia, sinusoidal congestion, and necrosis of the hepatocytes, which were concentration-dependent. APAP exposure enhanced the fusion and shortening of some filaments, hyperplasia of the epithelia gills cells, aneurism, congestion and epithelia rupture of the gills and was ovarian toxic. Multivariate results indicated that there was a distinct response from the acetaminophen-exposed female catfish with over 95% of the biomarkers significantly contributing to the discriminate between the acetaminophen-exposed female catfish and the control groups. Based on the data presented in this study for female catfish exposed to acetaminophen, it can be concluded that monitoring multiple biomarkers provides a more comprehensive picture of the exposed fish's health than single markers. As a result, pharmaceuticals may cause several alterations or multiple effects in non-targeted exposed organisms in the aquatic environment, yielding a less realistic risk assessment result in monitoring programs using single marker. Our research provides evidence supporting the use of a multiple-biomarkers approach to evaluate the impacts of drugs on the health status of female C. gariepinus over single markers.