Research articles
ScienceAsia 52 (2026): 1-7 |doi:
10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2026.078
Mechanisms underlying taurine protection against copper
sulfate-induced toxicity and inflammation in zebrafish
Chenlin Yua,b,*, Tiantian Chena
ABSTRACT: This study investigates the protective effects of taurine (TAU) against copper sulfate (CuSO4
)-induced
toxicity and inflammation in zebrafish. Zebrafish larvae were exposed to various concentrations of TAU and
CuSO4
, followed by assessments of morphological changes, survival rates, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses,
and programmed cell death. Results demonstrate that TAU significantly reduced CuSO4-induced mortality and
morphological abnormalities, with a mortality rate of 13.3% in the TAU-treated group compared to 83.3% in the CuSO4
only group. Additionally, TAU treatment down-regulated the expression of oxidative stress and inflammation-related
genes, including hsp70 and cox-2, and decreased levels of pro-inflammatory mediator genes such as nf-?b, tnf-?, il-1?,
and il-6. Furthermore, TAU effectively reduced the apoptosis rate in zebrafish larvae by inhibiting the pro-apoptotic
gene bax. These findings highlight the potential of TAU as a therapeutic agent for protecting aquatic organisms from
heavy metal toxicity via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
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| a |
Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences,
Shanghai 201318 China |
| b |
School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318 China |
* Corresponding author, E-mail: ycl0408@163.com
Received 23 Jul 2025, Accepted 6 Aug 2026
|
