The mechanism and effects of remdesivir‐induced developmental toxicity in zebrafish: Blood flow dysfunction and behavioral alterations

Abstract

The antiviral drug remdesivir has been used to treat the growing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. However, the drug is mainly excreted through urine and feces and introduced into the environment to affect non-target organisms, including fish, which has raised concerns about potential ecotoxicological effects on aquatic organisms. Moreover, studies on the ecological impacts of remdesivir on aquatic environments have not been reported. Here, we aimed to explore the toxicological impacts of microinjection of remdesivir on zebrafish early embryonic development and larvae and the associated mechanism. We found that 100 μM remdesivir

Identification of side effects of COVID-19 drug candidates on embryogenesis using an integrated zebrafish screening platform

“…Here we report the use of the zebrafish model to assess effectiveness and side effects on cardiovascular development of compounds repurposed for COVID-19 treatment. From the compounds that are currently used in the clinic Baricitinib, Remdesivir, Ritonavir had been studied for the induction of embryonic developmental defects in the zebrafish, but not in the context of cardiovascular development, and not all at concentrations corresponding to C max 57 , 58 . To our knowledge the effect of Molnupiravir and Sabizabulin on zebrafish development have not been studied to date.…”