We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Bisphenol A and microplastics weaken the antimicrobial ability of blood clams by disrupting humoral immune responses and suppressing hemocyte chemotactic activity
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how bisphenol A and microplastics, alone and combined, affect the immune defenses of blood clams (Tegillarca granosa). They found that both pollutants weakened the clams' antimicrobial ability by disrupting humoral immune responses and reducing the movement of immune cells toward infection sites. The study suggests that co-exposure to these common environmental contaminants could leave marine bivalves more vulnerable to disease.
Robust antimicrobial capability is crucial for marine organisms survival in complex ocean environments. Although the detrimental impacts of emergent pollutants on cellular immune response of marine bivalve mollusks were increasingly documented, the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) and microplastics (MPs) on humoral immune response and hemocyte chemotactic activity remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, the toxicities of BPA and MPs, alone or in combination, to the antimicrobial ability, humoral immune response, and hemocyte chemotactic activity were investigated in the blood clam Tegillarca granosa. Our data demonstrated that exposure of blood clams to BPA, MPs, and BPA-MPs for 2 weeks lead to significant reductions in their survival rates upon pathogenic bacterial challenge, indicating evident impairment of antimicrobial ability. Compared to control, the plasma of pollutant-incubated blood clams exhibited significantly less antimicrobial activity against the growth of V. harveyi, suggesting significant reduction in humoral immune effectors including defensin, lysozyme (LZM), and lectin. Moreover, hemocytes migration across the polycarbonate membrane to the serum containing chamber was markedly arrested by 2-week exposure to BPA, MPs, and BPA-MPs, suggesting a hampered chemotactic activity. In addition, the intracellular contents of ROS and protein carbonyl in hemocytes were markedly induced whereas the expression levels of key genes from the MAPK and actin cytoskeleton regulation pathways were significantly suppressed upon exposure. In this study, it was also found that BPA-MP coexposure was significantly more toxic than single exposures. In summary, our findings revealed that exposure to the pollutants tested possibly impair the antimicrobial ability of blood clam through (1) reducing the inhibitory effect of plasma on bacterial growth, the contents of humoral immune effectors, and the chemotactic activity of hemocytes, (2) interrupting IL-17 activation of MAPK signal pathway, (3) inducing intracellular ROS, elevating protein carbonylation levels, and disrupting actin cytoskeleton regulation in hemocytes.
More Papers Like This
Immunotoxicity and neurotoxicity of bisphenol A and microplastics alone or in combination to a bivalve species, Tegillarca granosa
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the immunotoxicity and neurotoxicity of bisphenol A and microplastics, both alone and in combination, on the blood clam Tegillarca granosa. The study found that co-exposure to both pollutants produced significant impacts on immune and neural biomarkers, suggesting that the combined presence of microplastics and chemical contaminants may pose greater risks to marine invertebrates.
Fine polystyrene microplastics render immune responses more vulnerable to two veterinary antibiotics in a bivalve species
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how fine polystyrene microplastics interact with veterinary antibiotics oxytetracycline and florfenicol to affect the immune system of blood clams. The study found that antibiotics alone caused significant immune suppression, and the co-presence of microplastics significantly amplified these toxic effects, suggesting that microplastics can make marine bivalves more vulnerable to chemical pollutants.
The toxic impacts of microplastics (MPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on haematic parameters in a marine bivalve species and their potential mechanisms of action
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists studied the combined effects of microplastics and a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, common oil-derived pollutants) on blood clams. Both pollutants individually reduced immune cell counts and impaired the clams' ability to fight infections, but exposure to both together produced significantly worse effects than either alone. The findings suggest that in real ocean conditions, where multiple pollutants coexist, the combined impact on marine organisms may be greater than what single-pollutant studies predict.
Pollution in marine bivalves: The immunosuppressive effects of microplastics on Anadara granosa
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed blood clams to polystyrene microplastics for one week and found that the plastics suppressed their immune system in a dose-dependent manner. Higher microplastic concentrations reduced the clams' immune cell counts, hemoglobin, and disease-fighting enzymes. Since blood clams are a commercially harvested seafood species, weakened immunity could increase disease outbreaks in clam populations and potentially affect the safety of shellfish consumed by humans.
The combined effects of microplastics and bisphenol-A on the innate immune system response and intestinal microflora of the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus
AI summary Read the abstract
Swimming crabs exposed to both microplastics and bisphenol-A (BPA, a chemical found in many plastics) for 21 days showed weakened immune responses and disrupted gut bacteria compared to exposure to either pollutant alone. The combination caused more intestinal damage and greater shifts in gene activity related to immune defense. This suggests that microplastics and the chemicals they carry can work together to cause greater harm to marine organisms than either one would cause by itself.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.