Neurotoxicity Biochemical Biomarkers in Fish Toxicology

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity is the most commonly used neurotoxicity biomarker in fish. It is measured mostly in the brain but can also be evaluated in muscle or (in the case of very small fish) in whole body homogenate. AChE activity is measured using standard methods, thus the results obtained by various authors are comparable. AChE seems to be a sensitive neurotoxicity biomarker since in most cases of fish exposure to various toxic agents a decrease in the enzyme activity was observed. The effects of toxic agents on AChE activity are concentration and time-related. An increase in AChE activity occurred very rarely. The results of the analysis showed that most aquatic pollutants may modulate AChE activity. Acetylcholinesterase activity can be also used to evaluate transgenerational neurotoxic effects.