Polystyrene nanoplastics synergistically exacerbate diclofenac toxicity in embryonic development and the health of adult zebrafish
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology2024
12 citations
?
Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 60
?
0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
When zebrafish embryos and adults were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with the common pain medication diclofenac, the mixture was significantly more harmful than either substance alone. The combination reduced hatching rates, increased mortality, caused developmental abnormalities, and triggered intestinal inflammation in adult fish. This finding is concerning because nanoplastics and pharmaceutical residues frequently coexist in waterways, and their combined effects on aquatic life could be worse than what studies of individual pollutants suggest.
In this study, we investigated the possible ecotoxicological effect of co-exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and diclofenac (DCF) in zebrafish (Danio rerio). After six days of exposure, we noticed that the co-exposure to PS-NP (100 μg/L) and DCF (at 50 and 500 μg/L) decreased the hatching rate and increased the mortality rate compared to the control group. Furthermore, we noted that larvae exposed to combined pollutants showed a higher frequency of morphological abnormalities and increased oxidative stress, apoptosis, and lipid peroxidation. In adults, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were also impaired in the intestine, and the co-exposure groups showed more histopathological alterations. Furthermore, the TNF-α, COX-2, and IL-1β expressions were significantly upregulated in the adult zebrafish co-exposed to pollutants. Based on these findings, the co-exposure to PS-NPs and DCF has shown an adverse effect on the intestinal region, supporting the notion that PS-NPs synergistically exacerbate DCF toxicity in zebrafish.