Assessing Ecdysone Levels in Atorvastatin Treated Procambarus clarkii
Assessing Ecdysone Levels in Atorvastatin Treated Procambarus clarkii
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2023-12
Authors
Shillington, Emma
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University
Abstract
Commonly used medically prescribed drugs, like atorvastatin, are making their way into
local water systems. Atorvastatin is a cholesterol-inhibiting drug in humans that blocks
the mevalonate pathway in crayfish, potentially affecting ecdysone. The objective of this
project was to investigate the effects of atorvastatin on ecdysone levels in the crayfish
Procambarus clarkii. Crayfish were dosed with atorvastatin in the laboratory at
concentrations ranging from 0.15 - 100μg/L, and ecdysone levels were measured using
ELISA. A Kruskal-Wallis Test revealed no differences among dosing groups for
ecdysone levels (p=0.610). However, sampling was only carried out at one time in the
molt cycle. In future studies, sampling should be done at different times throughout the
molt cycle to better understand the potential effects of atorvastatin on crayfish ecdysone.