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Toxic effects of microplastics and nitrite exposure on intestinal histology, digestion, immunity, and microbial community of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
Summary
Shrimp exposed to both microplastics and nitrite (a common water pollutant) suffered more intestinal damage than those exposed to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure disrupted gut bacteria, increased stress and cell death markers, and weakened immune function in the shrimp. While this study focused on aquatic animals, it shows how microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of other environmental pollutants.
Nitrite and microplastics (MPs) are environmental pollutants that threaten intestinal integrity and affect immune function of shrimp. In this study, the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei were exposed to the individual and combined stress of nitrite and microplastics for 14 days, and the changes of intestinal histology and physiological functions were investigated. After single and combined stress, affectations occurred in intestinal tissue; the antioxidant enzyme activities (MDA, HO, CAT increased) and gene expression levels (CAT, SOD, GPx, HSP70 up-regulated) changed. The expression levels of detoxification genes (CYP450, UGT down-regulated, GST up-regulated), apoptosis genes (CASP-3 up-regulated) and endoplasmic reticulum stress genes (Bip, GRP94 down-regulated) changed. Furthermore, the stress also increased intestinal microbial diversity, causing bacterial composition variation, especially beneficial bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. These results suggested that nitrite and microplastics stress had adverse effects on the intestinal health of L. vannamei by affecting intestinal tissue morphology, immune response and microbial community.
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