Astaxanthin mitigates dibutyl phthalate-induced thyroid hormone disruption in zebrafish larvae via multi-target regulation

Abstract

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, has been shown to induce developmental toxicity and thyroid hormone disruption in aquatic organisms. In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of the natural astaxanthin (AST) against DBP-induced toxicity in early-life stage zebrafish. Exposure to DBP (0.1–1 mg/L) significantly impaired embryonic development, reduced body length and weight, and disrupted thyroid hormone homeostasis by decreasing T4 and increasing T3 levels. These effects were accompanied by oxidative stress, inflammation, and dysregulated expression of key genes along the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, including dio2, tg, crhβ, and tsh. AST supplementation dose-dependently alleviated these developmental and thyroid hormone disruption, restored redox balance and anti-inflammatory responses, and normalized HPT axis gene expression. Molecular docking identified strong binding affinities between AST and core regulatory targets (HSP90AB1, HIF1A, MTOR, NFKB1), demonstrating its multi-target mechanism involving oxidative stress mitigation, metabolic regulation, and immune modulation. These findings provide new insight into AST's protective role against endocrine-disrupting pollutants and suggest its potential application in aquatic toxicology and human health.