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Long-term PS micro/nano-plastic exposure: Particle size effects on hepatopancreas injury in Parasesarma pictum
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Estuarine crabs were exposed to polystyrene particles of three different sizes for 21 days, and all sizes caused liver damage, though the effects varied depending on particle size. The research revealed that the largest particles caused the most severe injury through disruption of energy metabolism and immune suppression, while the mechanism of damage was cell death rather than programmed self-destruction.
With the widespread use of plastic products, microplastics and nanoplastics have emerged as prevalent pollutants in coastal aquatic ecosystems. Parasesarma pictum, a common estuarine crab species, was selected as a model organism. P. pictum was exposed to polystyrene (PS) particles of sizes 80 nm (80PS), 500 nm (500PS), and 1000 nm (1000PS), as well as to clean seawater (CK) for 21 days. Histological and fluorescent staining results showed that PS particles of all three sizes induced hepatopancreatic nuclear pyknosis, cell junction damage, and necrosis. The degree of damage was observed as 1000PS > 80PS > 500PS. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that major differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with cellular processes, membrane components, and catalytic activity. The respiratory chain disruptions and immune exhaustion induced by 1000PS were notably stronger than those by 80PS and 500PS. Additionally, necrosis caused hepatopancreas injury in P. pictum rather than apoptosis or autophagy after long-term PS particle exposure. Furthermore, PS particles of all three sizes inhibited innate immunity, while the complement pathway was not significantly affected in the 80PS group. This study elucidated potential distinctions in how plastic particles of varying sizes (nanoplastics, microplastics, and micro/nanoplastics) impact P. pictum, providing a reference for toxicological mechanism research on microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic organisms. Future research should focus on exploring long-term effects and potential mitigation strategies for microplastics and nanoplastics of more types and a wider range of particle size pollution in aquatic environments.
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Researchers exposed the brackish-water crab Chiromantes haematocheir to polystyrene particles at three sizes (75 nm, 500 nm, 1000 nm) for 21 days and found that smaller particles caused greater gill accumulation, elevated oxidative stress, and more pronounced disruption of immune function, energy metabolism, and apoptotic pathways.
Gill dysfunction and metabolic disruption: the size-dependent effects of microplastics on Chiromantes haematocheir
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Researchers exposed the brackish-water crab Chiromantes haematocheir to polystyrene particles at three sizes (75 nm, 500 nm, 1000 nm) for 21 days and found that smaller particles caused greater gill accumulation, elevated oxidative stress, and more pronounced disruption of immune function, energy metabolism, and apoptotic pathways.
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Researchers exposed Chinese mitten crabs to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that 48-hour exposure suppressed immune enzyme activity, elevated pathogen abundance in the gut microbiome, and damaged the hepatopancreas — with tissue damage persisting after 7 days of recovery even as gut nanoplastics were cleared.
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Researchers exposed white leg shrimp to polystyrene microplastics of four different sizes and found that toxicity was strongly size-dependent, with smaller particles causing greater tissue damage to guts and gills. Smaller microplastics were also more readily ingested and bioavailable to the shrimp. However, larger particles triggered different responses in gut microbiome diversity and metabolic pathways, indicating that microplastic size influences the type and severity of biological effects.
Biological interactions of polystyrene nanoplastics: Their cytotoxic and immunotoxic effects on the hepatic and enteric systems
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Researchers exposed mouse and human liver cells and live mice to polystyrene nanoplastics of five different sizes and found that the smallest particles were most toxic in lab dishes, while medium and large particles caused the most liver damage in living animals. The larger particles triggered immune responses by recruiting inflammatory cells to the liver and intestines, causing tissue damage. This study reveals that nanoplastic size matters in unexpected ways, and that lab tests alone may not predict which particles are most dangerous in the body.
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