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Synergistic neurotoxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles and MEHP in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Environmental Pollution 2025 1 citation ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 53 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei Dongmei Xie, De‐Sheng Pei Baiyu Zhang, Yiyun Liu, De‐Sheng Pei Qi-Ping Tang, Baiyu Zhang, De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, De‐Sheng Pei Qi-Ping Tang, Fulai Guo, De‐Sheng Pei Qi-Ping Tang, Baiyu Zhang, De‐Sheng Pei Yiyun Liu, De‐Sheng Pei Shuai Zuo, Qi-Ping Tang, Qi-Ping Tang, Qi-Ping Tang, Yuan Ding, De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei Yiyun Liu, Fulai Guo, De‐Sheng Pei Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, Yiyun Liu, De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei Baiyu Zhang, Yiyun Liu, Baiyu Zhang, De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei Quanbin Zhou, De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, Dongmei Xie, Baiyu Zhang, Baiyu Zhang, De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei De‐Sheng Pei

Summary

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene nanoparticles and MEHP (a phthalate plasticizer breakdown product) individually and in combination, finding synergistic neurotoxicity in co-exposed larvae driven by oxidative stress that disrupted glycerophospholipid metabolism and cholinergic neurotransmitter synthesis — with combined exposure amplifying bioaccumulation and embryonic cell death beyond what either pollutant caused alone.

The surge in global plastic usage has exacerbated the pollution of nanoplastics and plasticizers in aquatic ecosystems, causing widespread concern about population health issues. We used a zebrafish model to investigate the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) and plasticizer metabolite mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), revealing the synergistic neurotoxic effects and potential mechanisms of compound exposure. Co-exposure amplifies the bioaccumulation of PS-NPs (p < 0.05), causing innate immune damage (p < 0.0001), severe oxidative stress (p < 0.0001), and embryonic apoptosis (p < 0.05), while inducing larval neuromotor dysfunction and changes in neural markers. Further exploration revealed that oxidative stress-induced lipid peroxidation disrupts glycerophospholipid metabolism and cholinergic synthesis, which can be an important mechanism for neurotoxicity caused by the co-exposure of PS-NPs and MEHP. This hypothesis is supported by dysregulation of acetylcholinesterase (ache), docking protein 7 (dok7), and heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2 (hspg2) genes linked to neurotransmission. In summary, this study reveals new synergistic toxicity mechanisms between nanoplastics and plasticizers, advancing the risk assessment framework for complex environmental pollutant interactions.

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