Gambogic acid causes fin developmental defect in zebrafish embryo partially via retinoic acid signaling

Gambogic acid (GA), the major active ingredient of gamboge, has been approved by the Chinese Food and Drug Administration for clinical trials in cancer patients due to its strong anticancer activity. However, our previous research showed that GA was teratogenic against zebrafish fin development. To explore the teratogenicity and the underlying mechanisms, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were used. The morphological observations revealed that GA caused fin defects in zebrafish embryos in a concentration-dependent manner. The critical exposure time of GA to reveal teratogenicity was before 8 hpf (hours post fertilization). LC/MS/MS analysis revealed that a maximum bioconcentration of GA was occurred at 4 hpf. Q-PCR data showed that GA treatment resulted in significant inactivation of RA signaling which could be partially rescued by the exogenous supply of RA. These results indicate the potential teratogenicity of GA and provide evidence for a caution in its future clinic use.