Evaluation of Toxicity and Oxidative Stress Following Chronic Exposure to Lipid-Lowering Drug Atorvastatin Using Nile Tilapia

Abstract Statins have attracted considerable attention in health care because of their pleiotropic effects. At the same time, concerns have been raised about the effects of prolonged statin use. This study aimed to understand the effects of Atorvastatin (ATV) in Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ). The fish were exposed to 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 mg/kg of ATV for 45 days. Overall growth, morphological alterations, and mortality were assessed at 45 days. Behavioural changes were also observed in treated groups compared with controls at the 15th, 30th, and 45th days of the experiment. Statin-induced toxicity was evaluated through histopathological analysis, and oxidative stress was assessed through superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. The findings of this study revealed dose-dependent mortality and alterations in morphological and behavioural patterns in fish exposed to high ATV concentrations. Dose-dependent, noticeable changes in tissue architecture were detected in the livers, intestines, and eyes of all treated fish. Lipid peroxidation increased only at 0.2 and 0.5 mg/kg of ATV, suggesting oxidative damage at these concentrations. The response of Nile tilapia to ATV-induced oxidative stress was assessed by examining SOD and CAT activities. No statistically significant changes were observed at 0.02 and 0.05 mg/kg, but increased activity of both enzymes was detected at concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 mg/kg of ATV. Together, our findings suggest that consuming ATV is safe at lower concentrations, even with long-term use, whereas higher concentrations may pose a serious threat that needs further investigation to address.