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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.
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants of significant environmental concern; however, their cross-tissue physiological impacts and growth-inhibitory mechanisms in economically important freshwater fish remain insufficiently characterized. This study investigated the systemic effects of dietary exposure to 500 μm polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on the gut-liver-muscle axis in Qihe gibel carp (Carassius gibelio var. Qihe). Fish were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 5, 50, and 100 μg/g feed) for 28 days. PS-MPs exposure significantly suppressed growth performance in a dose-dependent manner, evidenced by reductions in body weight (BW), weight gain rate (WGR), and specific growth rate (SGR). Histopathological analysis revealed tissue-specific injuries: intestinal villus atrophy and epithelial barrier disruption; hepatocellular vacuolar degeneration and nuclear displacement; and muscular endomysial disruption with myofiber atrophy. Biochemical assays indicated hepatic oxidative stress (elevated malondialdehyde, suppressed antioxidant enzymes) and intestinal metabolic dysfunction (decreased amylase and trypsin, increased lipase). 16S rRNA sequencing demonstrated significant gut microbiota dysbiosis, characterized by reduced beneficial Bacillota and enrichment of opportunistic pathogenic Verrucomicrobiota and Actinomycetota. Transcriptomic analysis revealed upregulation of apoptosis and autophagy pathways in the liver and intestine. Concurrently, widespread downregulation of genes involved in the cell cycle, DNA replication, and motor proteins was observed in muscle. These findings establish a mechanistic framework linking gut-liver-muscle axis disruption to microplastic toxicity, providing critical insights into the ecological risks of microplastic pollution in freshwater aquaculture systems.
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Polystyrene microplastics induce endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis and inflammation by disrupting the gut microbiota in carp intestines
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Researchers fed carp polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles disrupted their gut bacteria, killing off beneficial species and promoting those linked to diseases. The microplastics triggered a stress response in intestinal cells that led to inflammation, cell death, and tissue damage. Since carp is a widely eaten fish, these gut health effects raise questions about how microplastics in aquatic environments could affect the safety of fish that humans consume.
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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.
Polystyrene microplastics exposure impairs skeletal muscle development by disrupting the gut-muscle axis in Hu sheep
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Sheep that ingested tiny plastic particles (microplastics) for eight weeks gained less weight and developed weaker, less healthy muscle tissue. The culprit seems to be gut damage: injured intestines changed gut bacteria and reduced key nutrients, which triggered muscle breakdown signals. Since these sheep are raised for meat and microplastics are found throughout our food and environment, this research raises real questions about how plastic pollution could affect food quality and, potentially, our own gut and muscle health.
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Researchers exposed young crucian carp to polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations and found dose-dependent liver damage, with higher concentrations causing more severe tissue injury and weaker antioxidant defenses. The microplastics disrupted genes involved in detoxification and stress response in liver cells. Since crucian carp is a commonly consumed freshwater fish, these findings raise questions about whether microplastic-contaminated fish could affect the health of people who eat them.
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Researchers fed marine medaka fish polystyrene microplastics of two sizes for 28 days and examined effects on gut microbiota and liver metabolism. They found that microplastic exposure significantly altered the functional composition of gut bacteria and disrupted hepatic metabolic pathways, even without causing visible tissue damage. The study suggests that microplastics can affect fish health through subtle microbiome and metabolic changes that precede obvious physical harm.
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