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Thirty weeks exposure reveals the damaging effects of microplastics: Histology, immunity and intestinal microbiota of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
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Scientists fed grass carp (a common freshwater fish) tiny plastic particles for seven months and found real damage: harmed spleen and gut tissue, disrupted immune system signals, and a shift in gut bacteria toward harmful types that could make the fish more prone to infection. Since these fish are part of the food chain and similar plastic pollution exists in waterways worldwide, this research is an early warning sign about how the microplastics we're increasingly exposed to through food and water might affect gut health and immunity in animals—and potentially in us too, though more research is needed to confirm effects in humans.
Microplastic (MP) pollution has become a global aquatic environmental issue, yet its long-term toxic effects on aquatic organisms remain poorly understood. In this study, grass carps (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were subjected to thirty weeks dietary exposure to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) to systematically evaluate the effects on histology, immune signaling, and intestinal microbiota. Histopathological examination revealed that PS-MPs exposure induced focal necrosis, increased melanomacrophage centers, and sinusoidal congestion in the spleen, while the intestine exhibited villus fusion, disordered arrangement, epithelial edema, and lymphocyte infiltration. Transcriptomic analysis further identified 2975 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the spleen. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs were significantly associated with cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Toll-like receptor, RIG-I-like receptor, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. Notably, the MAPK-associated gene mapkapk3 was significantly upregulated, whereas the immune-regulatory receptor gene IL20RA was downregulated, suggesting disruption of immune homeostasis and remodeling of innate immune signaling. Gut microbiota analysis revealed marked dysbiosis characterized by increased relative abundances of Fusobacteriota (57%) and Proteobacteria (35%), accompanied by pronounced reductions in Bacteroidota and Firmicutes. All alpha diversity indices (Chao1, Ace, Shannon, Simpson) were significantly decreased, and beta diversity analyses (PCA, PCoA, NMDS) demonstrated clear separation between groups. The opportunistic pathogen Aeromonas veronii was significantly enriched and identified as a key biomarker in the PS-MPs group. Collectively, long-term PS-MPs exposure induced structural tissue damage, altered immune-related transcriptional profiles involving mapkapk3 and IL20RA, and promoted gut microbial dysbiosis with enrichment of opportunistic pathogens, thereby potentially increasing host susceptibility to environmental stressors. These findings provide mechanistic insight into the ecological health risks posed by chronic MP exposure in freshwater fish.
More Papers Like This
Thirty Weeks of Microplastics Exposure Alters Muscle Quality in Grass Carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) Revealed by Transcriptomics and Metabolomics
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Scientists exposed grass carp (a common food fish) to microplastics for 30 weeks and found that it altered hundreds of genes and chemical processes in the fish's muscle—the part we actually eat—leading to signs of stress, inflammation, and changes in tissue structure. Since microplastics are already widespread in rivers, lakes, and fish farms, this research suggests that long-term exposure could affect the quality and safety of fish on our plates, though more research is needed to understand what this means for people who eat them.
Adverse effects of polystyrene microplastics in the freshwater commercial fish, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella): Emphasis on physiological response and intestinal microbiome
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Researchers exposed grass carp to different sizes and concentrations of polystyrene microplastics for up to 14 days, followed by a depuration period, and assessed physiological and intestinal microbiome effects. The study found that microplastics caused histological damage, oxidative stress, and shifts in gut microbial communities, with smaller particles and higher concentrations producing more severe effects.
Dietary exposure to polystyrene microplastics impairs muscle growth via gut microbiota dysbiosis and hepatic oxidative stress along the gut-liver-muscle axis in Qihe gibel carp (Carassius gibelio var. Qihe)
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Scientists fed farmed carp small amounts of microplastics for a month and found the plastic damaged their gut, liver, and muscles—stunting growth by disrupting healthy gut bacteria and causing liver damage that rippled through the body. While this study was done in fish, not people, it's a warning sign: since these fish are commonly farmed for food and microplastics are now found throughout our environment and food supply, this research raises questions about how the plastic we unknowingly consume might affect our own gut health and organs.
Exposure to microplastics induces lower survival, oxidative stress, disordered microbiota and altered metabolism in the intestines of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
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Grass carp exposed to environmental concentrations of microplastics (32-40 micrometers, 100 and 1000 micrograms per liter) for 21 days showed reduced survival, elevated oxidative stress markers, disrupted gut microbiota, and altered intestinal metabolism. Microplastics were detected in intestinal tissue at both concentrations, indicating accumulation and systemic effects.
Effects of waterborne exposure to varying concentrations of micro- and nano-plastics on liver and intestinal histology, antioxidant systems, and intestinal microbiota in Qihe River crucian carp (Carassius auratus)
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Scientists exposed farmed carp to microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics in water, finding both damaged the fish's gut and liver, disrupted digestion and gut bacteria, and slowed growth, with the tinier nanoplastics causing more harm. Since these fish are a food source, this raises questions about how widespread plastic pollution in waterways could affect the health and quality of fish we eat.
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