Neurotoxicity of an emerging organophosphorus flame retardant, resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate), in zebrafish larvae

Resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) (RDP), an emerging organophosphorus flame retardant and alternative to triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), is a widespread environmental pollutant. The neurotoxicity of RDP has attracted much attention, as RDP exhibits a similar structure to TPHP, a neurotoxin. In this study, the neurotoxicity of RDP was investigated by using a zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to RDP (0, 0.3, 3, 90, 300 and 900 nM) from 2 to 144 h postfertilization. After this exposure, the decreased heart rates and body lengths and the increased malformation rates were observed. RDP exposure significantly reduced the locomotor behavior under light-dark transition stimulation and the flash stimulus response of larvae. Molecular docking results showed that RDP could bind to the active site of zebrafish AChE and that RDP and AChE exhibit potent binding affinity. RDP exposure also significantly inhibited AChE activity in larvae. The content of neurotransmitters (γ-aminobutyric, glutamate, acetylcholine, choline and epinephrine) was altered after RDP exposure. Key genes (α1-tubulin, mbp, syn2a, gfap, shhα, manf, neurogenin, gap-43 and ache) as well as proteins (α1-tubulin and syn2a) related to the development of the central nervous system (CNS) were downregulated. Taken together, our results showed that RDP can affect different parameters related to CNS development, eventually leading to neurotoxicity. This study indicated that more attention should be paid to the toxicity and environmental risk of emerging organophosphorus flame retardants.