Flunitrazepam and its metabolites induced brain toxicity: Insights from molecular dynamics simulation and transcriptomic analysis

Psychoactive drugs frequently contaminate aquatic environments after human consumption, raising concerns about their residues and ecological harm. This study investigates the effects of flunitrazepam (FLZ) and its metabolite 7-aminoflunitrazepam (7-FLZ), benzodiazepine-class psychoactive drugs, on brain accumulation, blood-brain barrier (BBB), and neuroinflammation of the model organism zebrafish. Molecular dynamics simulation and transcriptome sequencing were used to uncover their toxic mechanisms. Results demonstrate that both FLZ and 7-FLZ can accumulate in the brain, increasing Evans blue levels by 3.4 and 0.8 times, respectively. This increase results from abnormal expression of tight junction proteins, particularly ZO-1 and Occludin, leading to elevated BBB permeability. Furthermore, FLZ and 7-FLZ can also induce neuroinflammation, upregulating TNFα by 91% and 39%, respectively, leading to pathological changes and disrupted intracellular ion balance. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals conformational changes in ZO-1 and Occludin proteins, with FLZ exhibiting stronger binding forces and greater toxicity. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identifies four modules correlated with BBB permeability and neuroinflammation. KEGG enrichment analysis of genes within these modules reveals pathways like protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, and arginine and proline metabolism. This study enhances understanding of FLZ and 7-FLZ neurotoxicity and assesses environmental risks of psychoactive substances. With the increasing prevalence of mental disorders and the discharge of psychoactive drugs into water, even low drug concentrations (ng/L-μg/L) can pose neurological risks. This study, utilizing molecular dynamic (MD) simulations and transcriptome sequencing, investigate the neurotoxicity and mechanisms of flunitrazepam and 7-aminoflunitrazepam. It reveals that they disrupt the blood-brain barrier in zebrafish and induce neuroinflammation primarily by inducing conformational changes in tight junction proteins. MD simulations are valuable for understanding pollutant-protein interactions. This research offers invaluable insights for the environmental risk assessment of psychoactive drugs and informs the development of strategies aimed at prevention and mitigation.