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Microplastics disrupt energy metabolism and intestinal integrity in juvenile Chinese horseshoe crabs
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Scientists exposed young horseshoe crabs (an ancient marine species) to microplastics and found real damage: the plastic particles built up in their gills and gut, weakened digestion, thinned their intestinal walls, and messed up how they process fats and energy—and these problems didn't fully go away even after the plastic exposure stopped. This matters because it shows microplastics can cause lasting harm to marine life that filters or lives in polluted waters, a warning sign for the broader food chain and ecosystems humans depend on, including the seafood we eat.
As an endangered marine living fossil, the Chinese horseshoe crab ( Tachypleus tridentatus ) inhabits microplastics (MPs) pollution hotspots. This study assessed the toxicity of different concentrations of 5 μm fluorescent polystyrene MPs on two-year-old horseshoe crab through a 14-day exposure and 7-day recovery experiment. The results showed that, (1) MPs accumulated concentration dependently, primarily in gills and intestine. High exposure (200 μg/L) resulted in significant residual burden (0.2109 μg/g), indicating inefficient excretion. (2) Respiratory metabolism was significantly inhibited (decreased oxygen consumption, P < 0.05), impacting energy metabolism and survival. (3) Digestive enzyme activity (lipase, trypsin) was dose-dependently suppressed ( P < 0.05), accompanied by intestinal wall thinning ( P < 0.05) and down-regulation of lipid metabolism genes ( Amy1 , PNLIP ). (4) Lipid metabolism disruption manifested as elevated triglycerides/cholesterol ( P < 0.05), inhibited total lipase ( P < 0.05), and low regulated lipolysis genes ( Mgll-2 , PLD1 ). MPs induced complex toxicity via a “physical damage–metabolic interference–gene regulation” triad. Short-term low-dose exposure triggered compensation, while long-term high-dose exposure caused intestinal damage and metabolic disorder. Incomplete recovery post-exposure to MPs demonstrates cumulative and persistent ecological risks to endangered intertidal species, providing crucial insights for assessing MP impacts on living fossils.
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Polystyrene Microplastics Impair Intestinal Homeostasis in Juvenile Tachypleus tridentatus Through Oxidative Imbalance and Gut Microbiota Dysregulation
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) can harm the gut health of young horseshoe crabs, causing cell damage and throwing off the balance of good and bad bacteria in their intestines, with younger crabs affected more severely. While this study was done in horseshoe crabs, not humans, it adds to growing evidence that microplastics, which we're also exposed to through food and water, may disrupt gut bacteria and trigger oxidative stress, a process linked to inflammation and various health problems in animals broadly.
Age-Dependent Molecular Response Strategies to Microplastic Exposure in the Endangered Horseshoe Crab Tachypleus tridentatus
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Scientists found that young horseshoe crabs react more strongly and chaotically to microplastic pollution than older ones, with the youngest showing bigger disruptions to their metabolism and stress systems. This matters because it shows microplastics can hit developing animals harder than adults—a pattern worth considering for other species, including how early-life exposure to microplastics might affect human infants and children differently than adults.
Particle size influences physiological responses to chronic exposure to polyethylene particles in juvenile Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus).
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Baby horseshoe crabs exposed to tiny plastic particles for three weeks grew slower, especially when exposed to larger microplastic fragments, even though other health markers looked normal. This suggests microplastics can subtly stunt growth in young marine animals, a reminder that plastic pollution's impact on marine food chains, and potentially the seafood we eat, deserves continued attention.
Polystyrene Microplastics Impair Intestinal Homeostasis in Juvenile Tachypleus tridentatus Through Oxidative Imbalance and Gut Microbiota Dysregulation
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that microplastic pollution damages the gut health of juvenile horseshoe crabs, causing oxidative stress, weaker immune defenses, and an imbalance of gut bacteria (fewer good bacteria, more harmful ones), similar to gut dysbiosis linked to inflammation in humans. While this study was done in horseshoe crabs, not people, it adds to growing evidence that microplastics can disrupt gut health across species, raising concerns about what similar exposure might mean for human digestive and immune health.
Differential effects of pristine and aged polystyrene nanoplastics on the first molting process in Tachypleus tridentatus
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) harm baby horseshoe crabs by disrupting their ability to molt, or shed their shells to grow, a critical step for survival. Surprisingly, "weathered" plastic particles (the kind that break down from sunlight exposure in real oceans) caused this harm through different, less-understood mechanisms than fresh plastic particles typically used in lab studies. This matters because most plastic pollution in the environment is aged, not fresh, meaning current safety testing may be underestimating real-world risks to marine life, and potentially to the seafood humans eat.
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