Assessment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Symptoms and Gut–Liver Axis Status in Zebrafish after Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics and Oxytetracycline, Alone and in Combination

Summary

This zebrafish study found that exposure to polystyrene microplastics combined with the antibiotic oxytetracycline disrupted the gut-liver axis and produced symptoms similar to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The combination of these two common environmental contaminants was more harmful than either one alone. This research suggests that microplastics may interact with other pollutants in the environment to worsen liver health outcomes.