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Animals
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Advances in Fish Toxicology and Pharmacology
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Advances in Fish Toxicology and Pharmacology

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 4135

Editor

Prof. Dr. Hiroki Teraoka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Japan
Interests: red-crowned crane; pharmacology; toxicology; zebrafish

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The decline of many commercially important wild fish populations has increased the urgency of improving aquaculture technologies. Conventional management practices—particularly the heavy use of antimicrobials and disinfectants around net pens—raise concerns about environmental contamination and the emergence of antimicrobial‑resistant bacteria. Tackling these challenges requires preventive and therapeutic strategies that prioritize animal health, and long‑term sustainability.

Well‑characterized model species such as zebrafish (Danio rerio) and medaka (Oryzias latipes) continue to serve as powerful experimental platforms for toxicological and pharmacological research beyond biomedical applications. The modern era of fish toxicology was catalyzed in the late 1970s by widespread outbreaks of “blue sac disease” in lake trout fry in Lake Ontario, which focused attention on dioxins and related contaminants. Since then, a broad array of pollutants have been studied in both developmental stages and adult fish. Various fish species also are widely used as sentinels for environmental monitoring and toxicity assessment.

This Special Issue seeks to compile and highlight recent advances in fish‑based toxicology and pharmacology, including mechanistic studies, environmental monitoring, drug and chemical safety assessment, aquaculture applications, and pharmacological effects on fish health. We welcome submissions on all fish species and experimental approaches, including original research articles, reviews, and short communications.

Prof. Dr. Hiroki Teraoka
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • contamination
  • fish
  • medaka
  • pharmacology
  • toxicology
  • zebrafish

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 8651 KB  
Article
Integrated Clinical Safety Assessment of Orally Administered Antimicrobials from Different Pharmacological Classes in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
by Camila Carlino-Costa, Susana Luporini de Oliveira, Mayumi Fernanda Aracati, Letícia Franchin Rodrigues, Hélio José Montassier, Camila Ferraz Franciscão, Maria Eduarda Pultz, Karine de Sousa Araujo, Ives Charlie-Silva, Luiz Arthur Malta Pereira and Marco Antonio de Andrade Belo
Animals 2026, 16(14), 2188; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16142188 - 14 Jul 2026
Viewed by 368
Abstract
The rational use of antimicrobials in aquaculture requires rigorous clinical safety assessments to ensure fish health and to minimize toxicological risks associated with drug administration. This study evaluated the clinical safety of orally administered antimicrobials incorporated into feed, representing different pharmacological classes, in [...] Read more.
The rational use of antimicrobials in aquaculture requires rigorous clinical safety assessments to ensure fish health and to minimize toxicological risks associated with drug administration. This study evaluated the clinical safety of orally administered antimicrobials incorporated into feed, representing different pharmacological classes, in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Three bioassays were conducted for sulfadimethoxine combined with ormetoprim (SDM–OMP, 50, 100, and 200 mg·kg−1, at a fixed 5:1 SDM:OMP ratio), spiramycin (SPM, 40, 80, and 160 mg·kg−1), and phenoxymethylpenicillin potassium (PMP, 10, 20, and 40 mg·kg−1), including control and treated groups at different dose levels, followed by a drug-free recovery period. The assessment integrated hematological parameters, serum biochemical analyses, and histopathological evaluations of the liver, kidney, and spleen. Exposure to the antimicrobials resulted only in mild, transient, and reversible physiological alterations, with no evidence of clinically relevant toxicity or structural lesions in the analyzed organs. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that SDM–OMP, SPM, and PMP exhibit a favorable clinical safety profile in Nile tilapia, even at doses up to four times the recommended therapeutic level, supporting their responsible use in aquaculture under controlled conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fish Toxicology and Pharmacology)
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11 pages, 1876 KB  
Communication
Methylene Blue-Enriched Feed Mitigates Acute Nitrite Intoxication in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
by Karoline M. Barbuio, Gustavo H. G. Pinto and Brunno S. Cerozi
Animals 2026, 16(7), 1042; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16071042 - 29 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1573
Abstract
Intensive recirculating aquaculture systems are vulnerable to spikes of nitrite, which oxidizes hemoglobin to methemoglobin and compromises oxygen transport. Methylene blue (MB) is a classical antidote for methemoglobinemia, yet its use in fish has been limited to injections or immersion baths that are [...] Read more.
Intensive recirculating aquaculture systems are vulnerable to spikes of nitrite, which oxidizes hemoglobin to methemoglobin and compromises oxygen transport. Methylene blue (MB) is a classical antidote for methemoglobinemia, yet its use in fish has been limited to injections or immersion baths that are impractical for large-scale operations. This study assessed whether MB incorporated into a medicated feed could mitigate acute nitrite intoxication in Nile tilapia. Fish received either a control diet or 0.1% MB diet. After five days on the experimental diets, fish were exposed to nitrite for 48 h. Control fish experienced five deaths, whereas no mortality or behavioral distress was observed in MB-treated fish. Hematology indicated significantly lower circulating methemoglobin concentration in the MB group, while the control fish had higher hemoglobin concentration and erythrocyte counts, consistent with compensatory erythropoiesis. Gill histology revealed preserved lamellae with only mild changes in MB-fed fish, whereas control fish displayed lamellar aneurysm, edema, capillary congestion, fusion and epithelial hyperplasia. Therefore, oral MB administration appears to ameliorate the physiological consequences of acute nitrite exposure, offering a scalable intervention for emergency management of nitrite spikes. Future work should define dose–response relationships, evaluate post-exposure rescue, quantify gill lesions and assess MB residues in food fish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fish Toxicology and Pharmacology)
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30 pages, 4855 KB  
Article
Mechanism of Liver Injury Induced by Cr6+ in Zebrafish and Protective Effect of Selenomethionine
by Yangfan Xu, Xinru Bo, Yan Zhang, Xinxu Li, Lingtian Xie, Yang Yang, Jianhua Yu, Wu Dong and Hongxing Chen
Animals 2026, 16(4), 687; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040687 - 22 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1128
Abstract
Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) is a potent environmental toxicant known to accumulate in the liver; however, the molecular underpinnings of its hepatotoxicity remain incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the biochemical mechanisms of Cr6+-induced liver injury and the protective [...] Read more.
Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) is a potent environmental toxicant known to accumulate in the liver; however, the molecular underpinnings of its hepatotoxicity remain incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the biochemical mechanisms of Cr6+-induced liver injury and the protective efficacy of selenomethionine (Se-Met) using a transgenic zebrafish model. We demonstrate that exposure precipitates severe hepatic steatosis and mitochondrial dysfunction, characterized by the dysregulation of lipid metabolism genes and the activation of ferroptosis pathways. Specifically, Cr6+ toxicity was driven by the depletion of glutathione (GSH) and the suppression of the anti-ferroptotic protein glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Notably, these pathological alterations were significantly attenuated by both the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) and low-dose Se-Met. Furthermore, transcriptomic profiling revealed that Se-Met exerts its protective effects primarily by modulating glycerolipid metabolism, thereby mitigating lipid accumulation. Collectively, our findings establish ferroptosis as a critical driver of Cr6+-induced hepatotoxicity and highlight Se-Met as a promising biochemical intervention to mitigate chromium-associated hepatic damage in aquaculture systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fish Toxicology and Pharmacology)
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