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Accumulation and ecotoxicological effects induced by combined exposure of different sized polyethylene microplastics and oxytetracycline in zebrafish
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Researchers conducted a 30-day experiment exposing zebrafish to different sized polyethylene microplastics combined with the antibiotic oxytetracycline. They found that smaller nanoplastics increased antibiotic accumulation in fish liver by up to 44.5%, and the combined exposure caused more severe liver damage than either contaminant alone, with effects worsening as particle size decreased. The study suggests that microplastics can amplify the toxicity of antibiotics in aquatic organisms through enhanced bioaccumulation.
Microplastics have been widely reported as carriers of antibiotics, yet studies investigating the combined ecotoxicology of microplastics and antibiotics on organisms is limited. In this study, different sized polystyrene plastics and oxytetracycline (OTC) were used to carry out a 30-day single and binary-combined exposure experiment of zebrafish, and the microplastics and OTC accumulation, liver histological alteration, biomarkers and transcriptomic response of zebrafish were evaluated. Our results indicated that 300 nm and 50 nm plastic particles increased the OTC accumulation in liver by 33.8% and 44.5%, respectively. Microplastics and OTC induced severe liver histological damage, and the damage is size-dependent, increasing with the decrease of microplastics sizes. The liver biomarkers indicated a different response pattern in single microplastics exposure and combined with OTC, single or co-exposure of 50 nm nano-plastics and OTC induced intense responses of integrated biomarker response values. The 50 nm nano-plastics, OTC and their combined exposure induced 1330, 2693 and 3965 significantly differentially expressed genes, respectively, in which the steroid biosynthesis pathway was significantly affected by all the three treatments. This study elucidated the size-dependent effects of microplastics and provided detailed data from histopathology to transcriptome profile, enhancing our understanding of the ecotoxicity of microplastics and OTC.
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Microplastics Enhance the Toxic Effects of Tetracycline on the Early Development of Zebrafish in a Dose-Dependent Manner
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Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos and larvae to polyethylene microplastics combined with the antibiotic tetracycline and found that the combination enhanced toxic effects in a dose-dependent manner. The co-exposure caused increased mortality, reduced body length, cardiac abnormalities, and aberrant vascular development through mechanisms involving oxidative stress and inflammation. The findings demonstrate that microplastics can amplify the toxicity of antibiotics during critical early developmental stages in fish.
Combined effects of micro-/nano-plastics and oxytetracycline on the intestinal histopathology and microbiome in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
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Researchers studied the combined effects of micro- and nano-sized plastics with the antibiotic oxytetracycline on zebrafish intestines over 30 days. Nano-sized plastics caused more intestinal damage than micro-sized ones, and combined exposures altered gut bacterial communities and increased antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that the co-occurrence of plastic particles and antibiotics in aquatic environments may have compounding negative effects on fish gut health.
Effect of microplastics on oxytetracycline trophic transfer: Immune, gut microbiota and antibiotic resistance gene responses
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When polypropylene microplastics and the antibiotic oxytetracycline were present together in water, the microplastics acted as carriers that increased antibiotic buildup in shrimp and fish through the food chain. This combination caused more gut and liver damage, weakened immune defenses, and promoted the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The findings highlight that microplastics can make antibiotic pollution worse by helping resistant genes move up the food chain.
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) physiological response to microplastics and enrofloxacin: Novel pathways to investigate microplastic synergistic effects on pharmaceuticals
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Scientists studied how microplastics interact with the antibiotic enrofloxacin in rainbow trout and found that the combination increased toxicity beyond what either pollutant caused alone. The microplastics appeared to change how the antibiotic was absorbed and processed in the fish, leading to greater liver damage and immune system disruption. Since fish are exposed to both pollutants in real waterways, this synergistic toxicity could affect seafood safety and the health of people who consume contaminated fish.
Gut microbiota related response of Oryzias melastigma to combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and tetracycline
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Researchers exposed estuarine fish to polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline, both alone and in combination, for four weeks. The combined exposure caused more severe disruption to gut bacteria and liver tissue than either pollutant alone, with microplastics appearing to worsen the effects of tetracycline. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics in coastal waters may pose greater ecological risks than either contaminant by itself.
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