097 | Pharmaceutical pollution in aquatic environments: effects of valsartan on Mytilus galloprovincialis

Giorgia Giurlanda¹, Alessia Caferro¹, Mariacristina Filice¹, Maria Assunta Iovine¹, Alfonsina Gattuso¹, Federica Impellitteri², Caterina Faggio³, Maria Carmela Cerra¹, Sandra Imbrogno¹ | ¹Department of Biology, Ecology, and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy; ²Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Italy; ³Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Italy.

In recent years, the occurrence of antihypertensive drugs in aquatic environments has significantly increased, raising concerns about their potential risks to non-target organisms. Among these pharmaceuticals, the AT1 receptor inhibitor Valsartan is particularly noteworthy due to its extensive use by human populations and its incomplete removal by conventional wastewater treatment plants. Nevertheless, information on its effects on aquatic organisms remains limited. We analysed the effects of a 10-days exposure to Valsartan at two concentrations (0.1 µg/L, V1; 1 µg/L, V2) on the physiology of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Cell viability, cell volume regulation, and tissue morphology were assessed in the digestive gland (DG), while markers of oxidative stress were measured in both DG and gills. In DG cells, viability was unaffected in both treated groups, while V2 exposure impaired the capacity to regulate cell volume. The DG architecture appeared well preserved in Valsartan-exposed mussels, although basophilic inclusions were observed. Analyses of oxidative stress markers revealed an increased lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation at both doses, with no changes in the activity and gene expression of SOD and CAT enzymes. Conversely, the gills did not exhibit oxidative damage, except for a transcriptional sod upregulation. Overall, our findings suggest that in M. galloprovincialis Valsartan induces morpho-functional effects, eliciting tissue-specific responses.