The effects of phenanthrene exposure on cholesterol biosynthesis in embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Past studies in several species of teleost fish have predicted cholesterol biosynthetic pathways are likely impacted by crude oil exposure. The goal of this project was to determine if phenanthrene exposure impacts gene expression in this pathway and quantify cholesterol changes in the exposed zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. Immunohistochemistry was used to visualize changes in cholesterol concentration and distribution. Real-time PCR was used to target specific genes associated with cholesterol biosynthesis. Additionally, pretreatment with cholesterol followed by treatment with phenanthrene allows us to assess if cholesterol treatment allows for any rescue on heart rate. The generated datasets include data on relative changes in gene expression. Pericardial area, measurements of fluorescence in zebrafish embryos stained with filipin (a cholesterol reporting molecule), number of individuals that survived 72 hours post fertilization (hpf) larval following treatment, and measurements of staining by Oil Red O (ORO), a stain for neutral lipids. This dataset supports the publication of McGruer, V., Tanabe, P., Vliet, S.M., Dasgupta, S., Qian, L., Volz, D.C. and Schlenk, D. 2021. Effects of phenanthrene exposure on cholesterol homeostasis and cardiotoxicity in zebrafish embryos. Environ Toxicol Chem. DOI: 10.1002/etc.5002