We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effects of Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure on Liver Cell Damage, Oxidative Stress, and Gene Expression in Juvenile Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus)
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
A considerable quantity of microplastic debris exists in the environment and the toxicity of these materials has a notable impact on aquatic ecosystems. In this paper, 50-500 µm polystyrene microplastics (exposure concentrations were 200 µg/L, 800 µg/L, and 3200 µg/L concentrations) were selected to study the effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on cell morphology, detoxification enzyme activity, and mRNA expression in the liver tissues of crucian carp juveniles. The results demonstrated that: (1) Different concentrations of PS-MPs cause varying degrees of pathological and oxidative damage to liver tissue cells of crucian carp. The higher the concentration of microplastics, the lower the antioxidant enzyme (CAT, GST, SOD) activity and the greater the tissue cell damage. These results demonstrate a typical dose-effect relationship. (2) Principal component analysis and Spearman's correlation analysis demonstrated that four components, namely glutathione S-transferase (GST) and its related genes (GSTpi, GSTα), along with catalase (CAT), contributed the most to the observed outcome. These four components demonstrated a relatively high level of responsiveness to PS-MP exposure and can be employed as ecotoxicological indicators of microplastics. (3) This experiment evaluated five genes in three treatments, which found that PS-MPs had different effects on gene expression in the liver and the tested genes were involved in different response pathways associated with virulence. In this study, the toxicity of PS-MPs to crucian carp was determined at the cellular, protein, and mRNA expression levels, and combined with principal component analysis and correlation analysis to identify response sensitivity indicators that provide a scientific basis for ecological risk assessment and the safe use of microplastics.
More Papers Like This
Effect of Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure on Individual, Tissue, and Gene Expression in Juvenile Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus)
AI summary Read the abstract
Juvenile crucian carp were exposed to polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations, and researchers found that the particles accumulated mainly in the intestines and gills. The study suggests that microplastic exposure caused tissue damage to multiple organs and altered gene expression, with higher concentrations generally leading to more severe effects.
Ecotoxicological effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on common carp: Insights into blood parameters, DNA damage, and gene expression
AI summary Read the abstract
Exposing common carp to polystyrene nanoplastics caused significant DNA damage in blood and brain cells, along with changes in genes related to immune function and stress response. Higher concentrations led to more severe effects, and the nanoplastics also disrupted liver antioxidant defenses. Since carp are widely consumed fish, these findings raise questions about the safety of fish from nanoplastic-contaminated waters for human consumption.
Ecotoxicological Effects of Polystyrene Particles on Cyprinus carpio: A Laboratory Assessment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed common carp (Cyprinus carpio) to polystyrene particles in a controlled laboratory setting, measuring survival, growth, histological damage, and oxidative stress markers over a 30-day period. Exposed fish showed liver and gill tissue damage alongside elevated oxidative stress enzymes, demonstrating that polystyrene microplastics are harmful to freshwater fish at tested concentrations.
Enrichment of polystyrene microplastics induces histological damage, oxidative stress, Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway-related gene expression in loach juveniles (Paramisgurnus dabryanus)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics accumulate in loach juveniles raised in ponds lined with plastic film, finding dose-dependent enrichment in the fish. The study found that microplastic exposure caused liver tissue damage, disrupted antioxidant enzyme activity, and altered the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress defense pathways.
A dosage-effect assessment of acute toxicology tests of microplastic exposure in filter-feeding fish
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers assessed the dose-dependent effects of polystyrene microplastics on silver carp, a filter-feeding fish, during a 48-hour exposure and recovery period. Low concentrations induced oxidative stress and gene upregulation in the intestine, with the fish able to recover after exposure ended. However, high concentrations caused significant gill and intestinal damage that persisted even after the microplastics were removed.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.