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An effect assessment of microplastics and nanoplastics interacting with androstenedione on mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)
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Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics (80 nm) and microplastics (8 micrometers) interact differently with the endocrine disruptor androstenedione in mosquitofish, with particle size influencing the combined toxicity on reproductive and physiological parameters.
An increasing number of microplastics have been detected in aquatic environments, causing various damage to organisms. The size of microplastics affects the toxicity once they enter the organisms. Meanwhile, there is an increasing variety of Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) present in aquatic environments. Androstenedione (AED) is a typical EDC. In this study, we used polystyrene microspheres of 80 nm (NPs) and 8 μm (MPs) as materials to simulate environmental contaminants in the aquatic environment with AED. We used female mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) as the research object to investigate the effects of microplastics on fish in waters containing AED. We compared different sizes of particles accumulation in some tissues of fish and variation of enzyme activities (SOD, LDH, CAT), and the content of MDA in the gut. MPs, NPs, and AED combined exposure test investigated mRNA profiles of immune-related genes (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10) and hormone receptor genes (ARα, ARβ, ERα, ERβ) in the liver of fish. Our results indicated that MPs emerged in various tissues (gill, gut, and liver) of mosquitofish. Besides, NPs and MPs caused enteric abnormal enzyme activity after 48 h of exposure, which was particularly pronounced in the MPs-AED group. MPs induced significant upregulation of inflammatory factors and gonadal factor genes after 96 h of exposure, which was more pronounced when co-exposed with AED. In conclusion, NPs and MPs caused mechanisms of immune damage and inflammatory response. MPs were found to be more likely to cause adverse reactions than NPs, and these responses were enhanced by the combined effects of AED. This study demonstrated that AED can exacerbate the negative effects of MPs and NPs on mosquitofish. It provided an important basis for the effective assessment of MPs and NPs on bioaccumulation and biochemical status of mosquitofish. Additionally, it serves as a foundation to investigate the interactive effects of microplastics and EDCs in living organisms.
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Researchers found that co-exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) produced interactive toxicological effects in mosquitofish, with nanoplastics altering PFOA bioaccumulation and causing liver damage and oxidative stress.
Impacts of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Fisheries Biology and Prospective Remediation Approaches in Aquatic Ecosystems
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This review examines how polystyrene nanoplastics affect fish biology, including physiology, behavior, and reproductive health. The study highlights that nanoplastics cause oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, and bioaccumulation in fish species, and that these effects can be amplified when nanoplastics interact with other environmental stressors such as pesticides and heavy metals.
Polystyrene microplastics increase estrogenic effects of 17α-ethynylestradiol on male marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics increased the estrogenic effects of 17a-ethynylestradiol in male marine medaka, with co-exposure at higher MP concentrations causing greater reproductive disruption than the estrogen alone.
Polystyrene modulation of perfluorooctanoic acid toxicity in zebrafish: Transcriptomic and toxicological insights
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Researchers exposed zebrafish to the industrial chemical PFOA both alone and in combination with polystyrene microplastics of different sizes to understand how the particles influence chemical toxicity. They found that PFOA disrupted neurotransmitter pathways, and the addition of microplastics modified this toxicity in a size-dependent manner, with smaller particles generally increasing harmful effects. The study provides evidence that microplastics can alter how other environmental pollutants affect living organisms.
Impacts of Environmental Concentrations of Nanoplastics on Zebrafish Neurobehavior and Reproductive Toxicity
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Researchers exposed zebrafish to environmentally realistic levels of polystyrene nanoplastics and found they caused both brain and reproductive damage. The nanoplastics disrupted neurotransmitter signaling and impaired the hormonal pathway connecting the brain to reproductive organs, with different effects in males and females. These findings suggest that even low-level nanoplastic exposure could affect both brain function and fertility in aquatic life that humans may consume.
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