SHORT COMMUNICATION Acrylamide-induced hematotoxicity, oxidative stress, and DNA damage in liver, kidney, and brain of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Marwa A. Ibrahim 1 | Mai D. Ibrahem 2,3 1 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt 2 Department of Public health, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia 3 Department of Fish Diseases and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt Correspondence Marwa A. Ibrahim, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211, Egypt. Email: marwaibrahim@cu.edu.eg, marwa199@gmail.com Abstract This study was carried out to explore the possible deleterious impacts of acrylamide (ACR) on catfish (Clarias gariepinus). The estimation of mortalities, the examination of the clinical picture, the evaluation of blood parameters, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and the histopathological picture were performed in the liver, kidney, and brain sam- ples of the experimentally ACR-exposed catfish. The 96 hours LC 50 value was esti- mated to be 133 mg/L by the hydrostatic method. Fish were reared in water containing four different concentrations of ACR as follows: 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% of the estimated LC 50 for 2 weeks. Abnormal behavioral, clinical, and postmortem responses were depicted. The anemic response including significant decreases in red blood cells, hemoglobin, and packed cell volume following the ascending concentra- tions of ACR were recorded. The malondialdehyde was significantly increased, whereas reduced glutathione level, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capac- ity were significantly decreased. The DNA fragmentation assay illustrated a clear laddering pattern in all the tested organs. Notably, the brain was the most influenced organ. It is presumed that ACR contamination showed adverse impacts on the catfish. KEYWORDS acrylamide, catfish, DNA damage, hematology, LC 50 , oxidative stress 1 | INTRODUCTION Acrylamide (ACR) (C 3 H 5 NO) is an industrial unsaturated amide with no natural source from the environment. It is water soluble, as its low vapor pressure (7 × 10 -3 Torr) made most of its release to the environ- ment expected to end up in the water. ACR and poly-ACR-based crys- tals have been classified as high-risk toxic compounds. They are used in various fields, including agriculture, gel electrophoresis, glues, min- eral processing, cosmetics, soil stabilizer and waste-water treatment, ACR is also found as a contaminant in potatoes and grain-based food cooked at high temperature. 1 The potential human exposure to ACR occurs primarily in the workplace and occasionally in general public by accidental dermal contact, inhalation, or contaminated drinking water. 2 ACR can also be found in cigarette smoke, and this is possibly one of the main routes of exposure for smokers. ACR is known to be a human neurotoxin and is classified as probably humans' group 2A carcinogen. Direct contact with ACR resulted in acute irritations, whereas neural symptoms appear fol- lowing chronic occupational exposures. 3 ACR can impair the central and peripheral nervous systems in animals. Glycidamide, an epoxide metabolite from ACR, has been shown to damage DNA and increase DNA reactivity when a deficient glutathione level is recorded. Glycidamide can also produce lethal mutations. 4 With the development of industry, numerous pollutants have been released into water by various means, resulting in critical water pollution. In the acrylamide polluted waters, biochemical disturbances occur in the natural ecosystem inhabitants, including fish due to the interactions between the chemical and biological systems. 5 The wash- ing water used in industrial factories reaches the water sources includ- ing surface and groundwater, and influence the aquatic environment Received: 20 May 2019 Revised: 28 August 2019 Accepted: 2 October 2019 DOI: 10.1002/tox.22863 Environmental Toxicology. 2019;1–9. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/tox © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 1