Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Led to Learning and Memory Deficits in Zebrafish by Inducing Oxidative Damage and Aggravating Brain Aging
Advanced Healthcare Materials2023
46 citations
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Weishang Zhou,
Weishang Zhou,
Weixia Zhang,
Difei Tong,
Lingzheng Lu,
Weishang Zhou,
Yihan Yu,
Yihan Yu,
Difei Tong,
Weixia Zhang,
Difei Tong,
Yihan Yu,
Weishang Zhou,
Lingzheng Lu,
Difei Tong,
Weishang Zhou,
Yihan Yu,
Weishang Zhou,
Weixia Zhang,
Weishang Zhou,
Difei Tong,
Xunyi Zhang,
Weishang Zhou,
Difei Tong,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Difei Tong,
Difei Tong,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Yihan Yu,
Weixia Zhang,
Dandan Tian,
Weishang Zhou,
Lingzheng Lu,
Yihan Yu,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Lingzheng Lu,
Lingzheng Lu,
Lingzheng Lu,
Lingzheng Lu,
Lingzheng Lu,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Lin Huang,
Guangxu Liu
Lingzheng Lu,
Difei Tong,
Difei Tong,
Guangxu Liu
Weishang Zhou,
Difei Tong,
Weishang Zhou,
Weishang Zhou,
Weishang Zhou,
Yihan Yu,
Yingying Yu,
Yingying Yu,
Lingzheng Lu,
Difei Tong,
Difei Tong,
Difei Tong,
Lin Huang,
Weishang Zhou,
Yihan Yu,
Guangxu Liu
Weishang Zhou,
Weishang Zhou,
Weishang Zhou,
Guangxu Liu
Lingzheng Lu,
Yihan Yu,
Lingzheng Lu,
Guangxu Liu
Weixia Zhang,
Lin Huang,
Guangxu Liu
Weishang Zhou,
Weixia Zhang,
Weixia Zhang,
Weixia Zhang,
Xunyi Zhang,
Weixia Zhang,
Yihan Yu,
Weishang Zhou,
Guangxu Liu
Xunyi Zhang,
Weishang Zhou,
Weishang Zhou,
Yingying Yu,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Yihan Yu,
Yihan Yu,
Guangxu Liu
Lingzheng Lu,
Dandan Tian,
Guangxu Liu
Weishang Zhou,
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Weixia Zhang,
Weixia Zhang,
Weishang Zhou,
Lingzheng Lu,
Lingzheng Lu,
Dandan Tian,
Guangxu Liu
Lingzheng Lu,
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Dandan Tian,
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Wei Shi,
Lingzheng Lu,
Lingzheng Lu,
Xunyi Zhang,
Xunyi Zhang,
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Yingying Yu,
Guangxu Liu
Weishang Zhou,
Guangxu Liu
Weishang Zhou,
Wangqi Pan,
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Wangqi Pan,
Wangqi Pan,
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Weixia Zhang,
Wangqi Pan,
Jiawei Shen,
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Yihan Yu,
Jiawei Shen,
Wei Shi,
Dandan Tian,
Dandan Tian,
Wei Shi,
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Guangxu Liu
Summary
Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics developed significant learning and memory problems, taking longer to navigate mazes and showing signs of accelerated brain aging. The nanoplastics caused oxidative damage, energy shortages, and disrupted the cell cycle in brain tissue. This study adds to growing evidence that nanoplastics small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier could impair cognitive function, raising concerns about long-term brain health effects from environmental nanoplastic exposure.
Nanoplastics (NPs) may pass through the blood-brain barrier, giving rise to serious concerns about their potential toxicity to the brain. In this study, the effects of NPs exposure on learning and memory, the primary cognitive functions of the brain, are assessed in zebrafish with classic T-maze exploration tasks. Additionally, to reveal potential affecting mechanisms, the impacts of NPs exposure on brain aging, oxidative damage, energy provision, and the cell cycle are evaluated. The results demonstrate that NP-exposed zebrafish takes significantly longer for their first entry and spends markedly less time in the reward zone in the T-maze task, indicating the occurrence of learning and memory deficits. Moreover, higher levels of aging markers (β-galactosidase and lipofuscin) are detected in the brains of NP-exposed fish. Along with the accumulation of reactive free radicals, NP-exposed zebrafish suffer significant levels of brain oxidative damage. Furthermore, lower levels of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 and higher levels of p53 are observed in the brains of NP-exposed zebrafish, suggesting that NPs exposure also results in a shortage of energy supply and an arrestment of the cell cycle. These findings suggest that NPs exposure may pose a severe threat to brain health, which deserves closer attention.