Molecular biomarkers for oxidative stress and neuronal damage in red-bellied pacu (Piaractus brachypomus)

Abstract

Biomarkers are biological molecules that provide information about the physiological condition of an organism such as early signals of health deterioration. The aim of this study was to compare the relative gene expression of four molecular biomarkers related to oxidative stress, and neuronal damage in Piaractus brachypomus under three different conditions (exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF), menthol and eugenol anesthesia, and brain injury). Bioinformatic analyses were conducted to design primers for the molecular biomarkers, then, the relative gene expression of COX1, GPX1, BDNF and CALB1 genes was measured by qPCR using brain tissue cDNA from the treated animals as template and 2-ΔΔCT method was performed. EF1a gene was used as reference gene. The results showed a response to chemical stress in the CPF treatment samples where GPX1, BDNF and CALB1 genes were up-regulated. Finally, in menthol/eugenol and brain injury treatments, no alterations in the relative gene expression were observed.