Behavioral and Developmental Changes in Brown Trout After Exposure to the Antidepressant Venlafaxine

During the last decades, depression has been diagnosed in increasing numbers, accompanied by rising prescription rates of antidepressants. Concomitantly, these pharmaceuticals are frequently detected surface waters. Serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors such as venlafaxine form second largest group antidepressants worldwide, is most prescribed antidepressant Germany. As drug targets evolutionary highly conserved, can potentially change not only behavior related physiological processes humans but also non-target species, especially aquatic organisms. In order to test this hypothesis for fish, we exposed brown trout larvae juveniles at concentrations ranging from 1 1,000 μg/L. Larvae were 5 months eyed ova stage until 8 weeks post yolk-sac consumption 7 11 °C. Juveniles 4 Mortality, weight, length, during exposure a stressful environment recorded both experiments. For larvae, additionally, hatching rate heart analyzed. juvenile tissue cortisol levels determined. Our results clearly showed, that trout, irrespective their life stage, when being venlafaxine: exposure, °C caused sojourn upper part aquaria longer time, with lowest observed effect concentration 100 limited space, fish ≥10 μg/L less active than controls. Furthermore, reduced growth (length μg/L, weight mg/L) survival after (at mg/L). Hatching well affected treatment.