PARENT SESSION
PM23 - Pharmaceuticals
Monday, 18 November 2002
8:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Exhibit Hall
(P411) Effects of fluoxetine on development in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus.
Slattery, Marc*,1, Foran, Christy2, Brooks, Bryan3, Weston, James4, 1 The University of Mississippi, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, NCNPR, ECHR & RIPS, Oxford, MS, USA2 West Virginia University, Department of Biology, Morgantown, WV, USA3 University of North Texas, Department of Biological Sciences, Denton, TX, USA4 The University of Mississippi, Environmental Toxicology Research Program, Oxford, MS
ABSTRACT- The sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus is a common member of the near-shore grass-bed communities of the southeastern United States and the Caribbean. These grass-bed communities are often subject to anthropogenic influences including exposure to pharmaceutical products that are carried out in wastewater discharge. In Saint Joseph′s Bay, FL the sea urchin population has been declining since 1993. This sea-grass community is locally influenced by several point source discharges. While the potential impact of pharmaceuticals on the aquatic environment has received recent attention, the effects of many of these compounds have been poorly studied; this is particularly true of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). SSRIs exhibit their effect by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin (5-HT) into the pre-synaptic nerve cleft. In sea urchin larva 5-HT is linked to the muscular contractions of the pluteus and ciliary activity during larval development. We chose fluoxetine as our model SSRI; it is one of the top 200 prescribed drugs (2001) in the United States. We examined the effects of fluoxetine on the development rates of these sea urchins. Developmental aberrations were noted at concentrations of 500 
g/L, and above. Sea urchin embryos raised in water collected from the discharge receiving stream also exhibited developmental aberrations when compared to those raised in control waters. SSRIs in large enough concentrations can interfere with the development of Lytechinus variegatus. However, it is unclear what, if any, contribution fluoxetine has on the sea urchin population decline in St. Joseph′s Bay. Future work will detect, if any, concentrations of fluoxetine in surface waters of St. Joseph′s Bay and discharge receiving waters that enter the bay.
Key words: fluoxetine, aquatic, pharmaceutical, Lytechinus.