Eyes as a Novel Target of Psychoactive Contaminants in Fish

Psychoactive drugs are pervasive in aquatic environments and can adversely affect aquatic life by acting on neurotransmitters, which are present in both humans and fish. Given the role of neurotransmitters in ocular functions, their alteration may impair vision. We exposed European perch to psychoactive drug mixtures under laboratory and natural conditions. Comprehensive analyses of drug accumulation in fish brains and eyes, along with changes in neurotransmitter levels, were conducted. Results showed that psychoactive drugs accumulated more in the eyes than in the brain, significantly altering neurotransmitter concentrations. This study suggests that focusing solely on behavioral endpoints and brain effects may be insufficient for risk assessment, as vision impairment due to ocular drug accumulation is also a concern.精神活性药物（Psychoactive drugs）广泛存在于水生环境中，可通过作用于人类与鱼类共有的神经递质（neurotransmitters），对水生生物产生不利影响。鉴于神经递质在视觉功能中的关键作用，其水平改变可能会损害视力。本研究在实验室与自然环境条件下，将欧洲鲈鱼暴露于精神活性药物混合体系中，全面分析了鱼类脑组织与眼部组织中的药物蓄积情况，以及神经递质水平的变化。结果显示，精神活性药物在眼部的蓄积量高于脑组织，且会显著改变神经递质浓度。本研究表明，若仅以行为终点与脑组织效应作为风险评估依据，可能存在不足——因眼部药物蓄积引发的视力损伤同样值得关注。