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Gut microbiome and metabolic responses of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) to the co-exposure of polyethylene microplastics and levofloxacin
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Scientists found that when zebrafish were exposed to both microplastics and a common antibiotic together, something surprising happened: the microplastics actually soaked up some of the antibiotic, which protected the fish's gut bacteria from damage. But here's the catch — even though the gut microbiome looked healthier, the fish still suffered worse overall health effects, including stress signals and metabolic disruptions not seen with either exposure alone. This suggests that a "stable" gut microbiome doesn't always mean a body is truly healthy, which matters as humans increasingly encounter both microplastics and antibiotic residues in food and water
The co-occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics in aquatic environments poses complex ecological risks. This study investigated the combined toxicity of polyethylene microplastics (PE MPs) and levofloxacin (LEV) in zebrafish using integrated untargeted metabolomics and gut microbiome profiling. Zebrafish were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of LEV (0.1 μg/L, 1 μg/L, 100 μg/L), PE (1 mg/L), and their combinations for 96 h. LEV exposure produced concentration-dependent metabolic toxicity, progressing from energy conservation at 0.1 μg/L to inflammatory activation at 1 μg/L, and ultimately to system-wide metabolic perturbation at 100 μg/L. PE independently disrupted oxidative stress and membrane integrity pathways. Co-exposure generated emergent interactive effects exceeding additive predictions, with PE + LEV 0.1 μg/L affecting 387 metabolites versus 245 for LEV alone. Crucially, co-exposure elicited synergistic toxicity with unique metabolic fingerprints-including neuroendocrine activation (dynorphin B) and mTOR signaling modulation-that were absent in individual treatments. Conversely, microbiome analysis revealed an antagonistic interaction; while LEV alone caused significant dysbiosis and enrichment of resistant taxa, co-exposure stabilized microbial diversity and composition, likely due to LEV adsorption onto PE particles reducing luminal bioavailability. These findings highlight a "microbiome-host interaction paradox": PE mitigates antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis yet exacerbates host systemic toxicity through mechanisms of epithelial barrier disruption and pharmacokinetic modulation. This study demonstrates that microbiome stability does not reliably predict host physiological health under multi-stressor conditions, underscores the importance of integrative, multi-omics approaches to assess the emergent risks of complex environmental mixtures.
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Researchers exposed estuarine fish to polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline, both alone and in combination, for four weeks. The combined exposure caused more severe disruption to gut bacteria and liver tissue than either pollutant alone, with microplastics appearing to worsen the effects of tetracycline. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics in coastal waters may pose greater ecological risks than either contaminant by itself.
Microplastic-antibiotic Complex Pollutants on Intestinal Microbial Community Structure of Zebrafish
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Tiny plastic particles in water can soak up antibiotics like a sponge, essentially hitching a ride into the guts of fish and disrupting their natural balance of gut bacteria. This matters because it shows microplastics aren't just passive pollution—they can act as delivery vehicles for other harmful chemicals, and since fish are part of our food chain and share similar gut biology to humans, this raises real questions about what combined pollution might be doing to our own health.
Combined effects of micro-/nano-plastics and oxytetracycline on the intestinal histopathology and microbiome in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
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Researchers studied the combined effects of micro- and nano-sized plastics with the antibiotic oxytetracycline on zebrafish intestines over 30 days. Nano-sized plastics caused more intestinal damage than micro-sized ones, and combined exposures altered gut bacterial communities and increased antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that the co-occurrence of plastic particles and antibiotics in aquatic environments may have compounding negative effects on fish gut health.
Polystyrene microplastics and cypermethrin exposure interfered the complexity of antibiotic resistance genes and induced metabolic dysfunction in the gut of adult zebrafish
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Zebrafish exposed to a combination of polystyrene microplastics and the pesticide cypermethrin showed more severe gut damage than from either pollutant alone, including loss of beneficial gut bacteria, growth of harmful microbes, and increased antibiotic resistance genes. This suggests that microplastics and pesticides together may disrupt gut health more than expected, which is relevant since humans encounter both pollutants through food and water.
The interaction between polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin on inducing hepatotoxicity in Carassius auratus via the gut-liver axis
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Researchers co-exposed crucian carp to polyethylene microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin and assessed liver toxicity through the gut-liver axis. The combination caused greater hepatic injury than either contaminant alone—disrupting gut microbiota, increasing intestinal permeability, and amplifying liver inflammation—highlighting synergistic toxicity when fish are exposed to both antibiotic and plastic pollution.
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