Cyflumetofen induces hepatic steatosis and disrupts lipid metabolism in zebrafish larvae.

Cyflumetofen is a highly effective acaricide, and both it and its metabolites are often present in the environment as pollutants. Therefore, the safety of cyflumetofen for non-target organisms requires further attention. This study used zebrafish larvae to evaluate the effects of cyflumetofen on liver development. After 72-hour exposure, cyflumetofen specifically manifested as significantly reduced liver area and histological damage (cellular vacuolization, nuclear loss) in the 2.0 and 4.0 μg/mL exposure groups. Concurrently, Oil Red O, Nile Red, and BODIPY 493/503 staining all showed that cyflumetofen induced hepatic and systemic lipid accumulation, accompanied by increased levels of TG, CH, FC, and LDL-C, and decreased HDL-C levels. qPCR analysis further revealed the molecular mechanism by which it disrupts lipid metabolism: promoting the expression of fatty acid synthesis genes (srebp-1c, fas) and inhibiting the expression of catabolism genes (cpt-1a, pparα) and lipid transport (fabp2). These integrated results demonstrate that cyflumetofen can cause abnormal liver development and induce systemic lipid metabolism disorder in zebrafish larvae.