PR000290 (Project)

Description:This metabolomics seed project will test the hypothesis that zebrafish can provide mechanistic insights into the human health effects of developmental exposure to Cd and Pb. We will use broad spectrum metabolomics of zebrafish larvae after exposure to Cd, Pb, and Cd and Pb compared to controls. Activity observed at 5 days post fertilization is will be used to determine if there is a correlation between biological pathways implicated by these metabolic profiles and cardiovascular, metabolic (obesity), and neurological phenotypes. The behavioral phenotypes have been quantified in zebrafish previously and have been measured in the Newborn Epigenetic STudy (NEST), a NIH-funded project that is investigating how environmental exposures and nutrition, in the womb and during childhood, affect how genes work and how these exposures developed into obesity and other diseases, disorders, and conditions. The results from this study will demonstrate the power of using zebrafish as a model for mechanism discovery in exposure using metabolomics to advance understanding of early life exposure to Cd and Pb and serve as preliminary data for opportunities.