Regulation roles of dre-miR-187 in neurological damage by low concentration toluene in zebrafish

Abstract

Toluene is a common organic pollutant in ambient water environment, and its potential toxicogenic mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we explored toxicity mechanisms of toluene on zebrafish and verified that toluene exposure at criterion concentration levels altered the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and 19 lncRNAs and 10 miRNAs associated with the BBB function showed significant differences. In addition, we confirmed that dre-miR-187 binds complementarily to ABCC4 3'UTR, thereby inhibiting expression and affecting normal BBB function. By exploring the regulatory mechanism of ncRNA under toluene stress, we provided a new idea for studying neurotoxicity of toluene and its regulatory mechanism, and for the first time found that low concentration of toluene can disrupt BBB function in zebrafish.