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Long-term exposure to polyethylene microplastics and glyphosate interferes with the behavior, intestinal microbial homeostasis, and metabolites of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)
Summary
Researchers exposed common carp to polyethylene microplastics and the herbicide glyphosate, both individually and combined, over 60 days to study effects on brain and gut health. The combination of both pollutants was more harmful than either alone, suppressing swimming behavior, damaging intestinal barriers, disrupting gut bacteria, and altering metabolism. The study suggests that microplastics and agricultural chemicals together may pose greater risks to fish health than previously recognized.
Polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) and glyphosate (GLY) occur widely and have toxic characteristics, resulting in increased research interest. In this study, common carp were used to assess the individual and combined toxicity of PE-MPs (0, 1.5, or 4.5 mg/L) and GLY (0, 5, or 15 mg/L) on the brain-gut axis. After 60 days of exposure, the developmental toxicity, blood-brain barrier (BBB), locomotor behavior, intestinal barrier (physical barrier, chemical barrier, microbial barrier), and intestinal content metabolism of common carp were evaluated. Results showed that 15 mg/L of GLY exposure significantly reduced the mRNA expression of tight-junction genes (occludin, claudin-2, and ZO-1) in the brain, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was clearly inhibited by high concentrations of GLY. However, different concentrations of PE-MPs had no significant effect on the activity of AChE. Furthermore, the free-swimming behavior of common carp was distinctly inhibited by treatment with a combination of 15 mg/L GLY and 4.5 mg/L PE-MPs. Histological studies indicated that PE-MPs alone and in combination with GLY could disrupt the physical and chemical intestinal barriers of common carp. Additionally, the abundance and diversity of gut microbiota in common carp were significantly changed when exposed to a combination of PE-MPs and GLY. Metabolomics further revealed that PE-MPs combined with GLY triggered metabolic changes and that differential metabolites were related to amino acid and lipid metabolism. These findings illustrate that exposure to PE-MPs or GLY alone is toxic to fish and results in physiological changes to the brain-gut axis. This work offers a robust analysis to understand the mechanisms underlying GLY and MP-induced aquatic toxicity.
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