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Microplastics (Polystyrene) Exposure Induces Metabolic Changes in the Liver of Rare Minnow (Gobiocypris rarus)
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Researchers exposed rare minnow fish to polystyrene microplastics and observed significant metabolic changes in the liver after four weeks. The microplastics caused cellular and tissue alterations along with shifts in metabolic pathways related to energy production and lipid metabolism. The study suggests that chronic microplastic exposure can disrupt normal liver function in freshwater fish even at sublethal concentrations.
Microplastics are environmental contaminants and an emergent concern. Microplastics are abundant in freshwater and can cause biochemical stress in freshwater organisms. In the current study, rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus) were exposed to 1μm polystyrene microplastics at 200 μg/L concentration. We observed various sublethal effects after four weeks of exposure but no mortality. Numerous cellular and tissue alterations were observed in the liver. Differential metabolites and differentially expressed genes between control and exposure groups were identified and mapped to pathways in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. The combination of transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed significantly varied metabolic pathways between the two groups. These pathways were involved in glucolipid, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolism. Results demonstrated that MP exposure induced immune reaction, oxidative stress, and disturbed glycolipid and energy metabolism. The current study provided novel insights into the molecular and metabolic mechanisms of microplastic ecotoxicology in rare minnow.
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Researchers fed marine medaka fish polystyrene microplastics of two sizes for 28 days and examined effects on gut microbiota and liver metabolism. They found that microplastic exposure significantly altered the functional composition of gut bacteria and disrupted hepatic metabolic pathways, even without causing visible tissue damage. The study suggests that microplastics can affect fish health through subtle microbiome and metabolic changes that precede obvious physical harm.
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Researchers exposed young crucian carp to polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations and found dose-dependent liver damage, with higher concentrations causing more severe tissue injury and weaker antioxidant defenses. The microplastics disrupted genes involved in detoxification and stress response in liver cells. Since crucian carp is a commonly consumed freshwater fish, these findings raise questions about whether microplastic-contaminated fish could affect the health of people who eat them.
Subchronic oral exposure to polystyrene microplastics affects hepatic lipid metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative balance in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata)
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Gilthead seabream fed polystyrene microplastics for 21 days developed signs of liver damage including fat buildup, inflammation, and oxidative stress -- changes similar to early-stage fatty liver disease. Since fish liver responds to microplastics in ways comparable to mammalian livers, these findings raise concerns about what chronic microplastic exposure might do to liver health in humans and other animals.
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Researchers found that three months of exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics caused significant liver damage in medaka fish, including oxidative stress, immune disruption, and altered gene expression related to lipid metabolism and detoxification pathways.
Effects of polystyrene microplastics acute exposure in the liver of swordtail fish (Xiphophorus helleri) revealed by LC-MS metabolomics
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Researchers used metabolomics to investigate the effects of acute polystyrene microplastic exposure on swordtail fish livers. The study found that microplastic exposure caused significant alterations in metabolic pathways related to amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and energy production, indicating broad metabolic disruption even after short-term exposure.
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