Dietary Cadmium Inhibits Neuronal Calcium Activity Prior to Onset of Optomotor Deficits in Zebrafish
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Cadmium (Cd) is a global toxic pollutant and a major foodborne hazard. Its widespread use in industrial processes, including its presence in fertilizers, combined with natural environmental occurrence, has led to persistent contamination of food and water supplies. Ingested Cd has been associated with visual impairments, but early predictors such as disruptions to nervous system function are elusive largely due to the reliance of in vitro and in vitro assays. Here, we examined the effects of human relevant dietary Cd concentrations (0, 30, and 600 µg/g Cd) on in vivo neuronal calcium (Ca²⁺) activity and visually-guided behavior, as assessed by the optomotor response, across multiple exposure windows. We found that human relevant dietary Cd exposure induced immediate deficits in whole brain neuronal activity that preceded impairments in the optomotor response. While Cd disrupted in vivo neuronal Ca²⁺ activity in zebrafish after a single day of exposure, these effects were transient, with differences across treatments diminishing after two weeks. In contrast, optomotor deficits emerged after two weeks of exposure and were concentration dependent. Notably, while alterations in neuronal Ca²⁺ activity occurred at Cd exposure levels comparable to those in human populations, early-life optomotor deficits were observed only at dietary Cd concentrations at the upper limit of human exposures. Overall, these findings demonstrate that ingested Cd poses significant risks to sensitive systems, including the nervous system, with downstream consequences for visually-guided behavior. This study provides insight into early neurophysiological predictors of dietary Cd–induced neurotoxicity and visual dysfunction.
Source: Preprints.org
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7162999827