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Polystyrene microplastics enhance microcystin-LR-induced cardiovascular toxicity and oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos
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Zebrafish embryos exposed to both microplastics and microcystin-LR (a toxin produced by algal blooms) developed significantly worse heart and blood vessel damage than those exposed to the toxin alone. The microplastics amplified oxidative stress and cell death, suggesting that in polluted waterways where both contaminants coexist, the combined health risks may be greater than either one individually.
The health risks associated with combined exposure to microplastics (MPs) and cyanobacteria toxins have gained increasing attention due to the large-scale prevalence of cyanobacterial blooms and accumulation of MPs in aquatic environments. Therefore, we explored the cardiovascular toxic effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR, 1, 10, 100 μg/L) in the presence of 5 μm polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs, 100 μg/L) and 80 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 100 μg/L) in zebrafish models. Embryos were exposed to certain PS-MPs and PS-NPs conditions in water between 3 h post-fertilization (hpf) and 168 hpf. Compared to MC-LR alone, a significant decrease in heart rate was observed as well as notable pericardial edema in the MC-LR + PS-MPs/NPs groups. At the same time, sinus venosus and bulbus arteriosus (SV-BA) distances were significantly increased. Furthermore, the addition of PS-MPs/NPs caused thrombosis in the caudal vein and more severe vascular damage in zebrafish larvae compared to MC-LR alone. Our findings revealed that combined exposure to PS-NPs and MC-LR could significantly decreased the expression of genes associated with cardiovascular development (myh6, nkx2.5, tnnt2a, and vegfaa), ATPase (atp1a3b, atp1b2b, atp2a1l, atp2b1a, and atp2b4), and the calcium channel (cacna1ab and ryr2a) compared to exposure to MC-LR alone. In addition, co-exposure with PS-MPs/NPs exacerbated the MC-LR-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, as well as the ROS-stimulated apoptosis and heightened inflammation. We also discovered that astaxanthin (ASTA) treatment partially attenuated these cardiovascular toxic effects. Our findings confirm that exposure to MC-LR and PS-MPs/NPs affects cardiovascular development through calcium signaling interference and ROS-induced cardiovascular cell apoptosis. This study highlights the potential environmental risks of the co-existence of MC-LR and PS-MPs/NPs for fetal health, particularly cardiovascular development.
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Polystyrene microplastics enhance the microcystin-LR-induced gonadal damage and reproductive endocrine disruption in zebrafish
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Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene microplastics along with microcystin-LR (a common toxin from algae blooms) suffered worse reproductive damage than when exposed to either pollutant alone. The microplastics acted as carriers that increased the amount of toxin accumulating in the fish's reproductive organs. This study demonstrates that microplastics can worsen the effects of other water pollutants by helping toxic chemicals build up in the body.
Microcystin-LR and polystyrene microplastics jointly lead to hepatic histopathological damage and antioxidant dysfunction in male zebrafish
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This study exposed zebrafish to a common water toxin (microcystin-LR) both alone and combined with polystyrene microplastics, and found that the microplastics made the liver damage significantly worse. The microplastics acted as carriers, increasing how much toxin accumulated in the fish liver and amplifying oxidative stress. This is relevant to human health because it shows microplastics can boost the harmful effects of other pollutants commonly found in drinking water sources.
Microplastics as vectors for microcystin-LR: Enhanced bioavailability, oxidative damage, and immune dysregulation in zebrafish spleen
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Researchers studied the combined effects of the algal toxin microcystin-LR and polystyrene microplastics on zebrafish spleen over 60 days. They found that microplastics enhanced the bioavailability of the toxin, worsening oxidative damage and suppressing immune function beyond what either pollutant caused alone. The study suggests that microplastics can act as vectors for harmful algal toxins, amplifying their biological impact in aquatic organisms.
Combined effects of co-exposure to microcystin-LR and polystyrene microplastics on growth, brain pathology and thyroid hormone homeostasis in adult zebrafish
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Researchers exposed zebrafish to microcystin-LR (a toxin from algal blooms) combined with polystyrene microplastics and found that the combination caused significantly worse brain damage and thyroid hormone disruption than either pollutant alone. The microplastics appeared to overwhelm the fish's ability to compensate for the algal toxin, leading to hormone imbalances that could affect growth and development. This is concerning because algal blooms and microplastics frequently occur together in polluted waterways, and their combined effects on the hormone system may be worse than expected.
Synergistic reproductive toxicity of microcystin-LR and polystyrene micro/nano-plastics in male zebrafish.
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Male zebrafish exposed to both microcystin-LR and polystyrene micro/nano-plastics showed synergistic reproductive toxicity, with co-exposure more severely impairing sperm quality, testicular structure, and reproductive hormones than either contaminant alone. The study underscored the ecological risk posed by the co-occurrence of cyanotoxins and microplastics in aquatic environments.
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