Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Acute exposure to microplastics induces metabolic disturbances and gut dysbiosis in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene and polyester microplastics and used untargeted metabolomics and gut microbiome analysis to assess the effects. The study found that acute microplastic exposure caused significant metabolic disturbances and gut dysbiosis, altering key metabolites involved in lipid and amino acid metabolism.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics on the microbiome and metabolism in larval zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polyethylene microplastics for seven days and found significant disruptions to their gut bacteria and metabolic function. The microplastics altered the balance of key bacterial groups in the gut, increasing potentially harmful species while decreasing beneficial ones. Metabolic analysis revealed changes in fat, cholesterol, and sugar processing, suggesting that early-life microplastic exposure can disturb both the microbiome and metabolic development in fish.

2021 Environmental Pollution 176 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of MP Polyethylene Microparticles on Microbiome and Inflammatory Response of Larval Zebrafish

Zebrafish larvae exposed to polyethylene microplastics for up to 10 days showed no broad metabolic disturbances or inflammatory changes, but oxidative stress markers increased at 15 days and the gut microbiome was disrupted, with higher levels of bacteria linked to intestinal disease. The findings suggest microplastics alter the microbial environment of fish guts without triggering obvious inflammation.

2020 Toxics 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics induce intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and disorders of metabolome and microbiome in zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found significant intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of both the gut microbiome and metabolic processes. The microplastics altered the balance of beneficial and harmful gut bacteria and changed the levels of key metabolites involved in energy and amino acid metabolism. The study provides detailed evidence that microplastic ingestion can cause widespread disruption to gut health in aquatic organisms.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 898 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the composition of the microbiome and metabolism in larval zebrafish

Researchers exposed larval zebrafish to two sizes of polystyrene microplastics and found significant changes in gut microbiome composition and metabolic activity. The microplastics altered the abundance and diversity of gut bacteria and disrupted metabolic pathways important for development. The study suggests that early-life exposure to microplastics could have meaningful biological consequences by reshaping the gut environment of developing organisms.

2018 Chemosphere 472 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce gut microbiome and metabolome changes in Javanese medaka fish (Oryzias javanicus Bleeker, 1854)

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic exposure altered gut microbiome composition and metabolic profiles in Javanese medaka fish, with effects on amino acid and lipid metabolism pathways suggesting microplastics can disrupt gut health in aquatic organisms.

2022 Toxicology Reports 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic feeding exposure to virgin and spiked microplastics disrupts essential biological functions in teleost fish

Researchers fed zebrafish and marine medaka environmentally relevant concentrations of virgin and chemically spiked polyethylene and PVC microplastics over four months. While classical biomarkers showed no changes, significant decreases in growth and disruptions to reproduction, gut integrity, and liver function were observed. The findings suggest that chronic dietary exposure to microplastics can disrupt essential biological functions in fish even without triggering traditional toxicity markers.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological Assessment of Microplastics in Zebrafish: Biochemical Responses and Histopathological Changes

Zebrafish were exposed to polyethylene microplastics (50 and 100 µm) at concentrations from 0.1 to 500 µg/L for up to 24 days, with bioaccumulation found to be dose-dependent and concentrated in the liver and gut. While survival was high (>95%), histopathological damage in liver and intestinal tissue increased significantly with dose.

2025 Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Effects of zebrafish exposure to high-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics at molecular and histological levels

This study exposed zebrafish to high-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics and used genomic analysis to identify which biological pathways were most affected, finding widespread disruption of immune function, metabolism, and stress response genes. The transcriptomic approach reveals that different plastic types activate distinct molecular stress responses in fish.

2018 Use Siena air (University of Siena)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics induce transcriptional changes, immune response and behavioral alterations in adult zebrafish

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics for twenty days and analyzed the effects at the genetic, tissue, and behavioral levels. They found significant changes in immune system genes, disrupted intestinal and gill tissue integrity, and increased presence of inflammatory cells. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may compromise fish defenses against pathogens by weakening the protective barriers of their mucosal tissues.

2019 Scientific Reports 361 citations
Article Tier 2

Transcriptional effects of polyethylene microplastics ingestion in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed developing zebrafish to polyethylene microplastics and used transcriptomic analysis to identify changes in gene expression related to immune function, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress. The study suggests that even at relatively low concentrations, ingested microplastics can alter key biological pathways during early fish development.

2018 Environmental Pollution 176 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of high-fat diet and polystyrene microplastic exposure on microplastic bioaccumulation and lipid metabolism in zebrafish

Researchers studied how a high-fat diet combined with polystyrene microplastic exposure affects zebrafish, finding that obese fish accumulated significantly more microplastics in their tissues. The high-fat diet disrupted lipid metabolism and created conditions that increased microplastic retention in the body. This suggests that diet and body fat levels may influence how much microplastic accumulates in living organisms, with potential implications for human health.

2023 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of pristine or contaminated polyethylene microplastics on zebrafish development

Researchers examined the effects of both pristine and pollutant-contaminated polyethylene microplastics on zebrafish development through chronic exposure. The study assessed how microplastics, both alone and as carriers of adsorbed organic pollutants, affect developing fish. The findings provide new insights into how contaminated microplastics may create additional routes for toxic compounds to enter aquatic food webs.

2022 Chemosphere 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of frying on microplastics load in fish and implications on health

Researchers investigated the effects of polyethylene microplastics on gut microbiota composition in mice fed a high-fat diet, finding that microplastic exposure altered microbial diversity and increased gut permeability. Co-exposure with a high-fat diet amplified metabolic disruption.

2022 Food Frontiers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Acute toxic effects of polyethylene microplastic on adult zebrafish

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene microplastics of various sizes to identify physical effects, behavioral changes, and gene expression impacts. They found that microplastic ingestion varied by particle size and that exposure altered expression of detoxification and reproduction-related genes. The study suggests that microplastic pollution at environmentally relevant concentrations could affect both the health and reproductive capacity of fish.

2019 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 290 citations
Article Tier 2

Zebrafish exposure to high-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics: effects on liver transcriptome and gastrointestinal histology

This study used proteomics — the analysis of all proteins expressed by cells — to identify how zebrafish respond to exposure to high-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics, finding disruption of proteins involved in metabolism, oxidative stress, and immune defense. The protein-level analysis complements genomic approaches and reveals the biological mechanisms underlying microplastic toxicity in fish.

2018 Use Siena air (University of Siena)
Article Tier 2

Plastics in our water: Fish microbiomes at risk?

This review examined how microplastics and leached plasticizers affect the gut microbiomes of freshwater and marine fish, summarizing evidence for dysbiosis and reduced microbial diversity and discussing potential consequences for fish immunity, metabolism, and environmental fitness.

2021 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D Genomics and Proteomics 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolomic profiling reveals the intestinal toxicity of different length of microplastic fibers on zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to microplastic fibers of two different lengths and found that longer fibers caused more severe intestinal damage and reduced food intake by 54-67%. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the fibers disrupted lipid and fatty acid metabolism in the gut, promoting oxidative damage and inflammation. The study demonstrates that microplastic fiber length is an important factor in determining the severity of intestinal toxicity in aquatic organisms.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 227 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic nanoparticles cause mild inflammation, disrupt metabolic pathways, change the gut microbiota and affect reproduction in zebrafish: A full generation multi-omics study.

Exposure of zebrafish to polystyrene nanoparticles throughout their entire first generation caused mild inflammation, disrupted metabolic pathways, altered gut microbiota, and impaired reproduction — even at environmentally relevant concentrations. This comprehensive multigenerational study demonstrates that nanoplastic exposure can have lasting biological effects across multiple body systems in fish.

2022 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in the Liver and Intestine of Normal and High-Fat-Diet Juvenile Zebrafish

Researchers exposed juvenile zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with a high-fat diet and found that the combination caused gastrointestinal injury and disrupted lipid metabolism. The nanoplastics alone perturbed gut microbiota stability, and the effects were amplified when paired with a high-fat diet. The study suggests that dietary factors may influence the severity of nanoplastic toxicity, highlighting the importance of considering real-world exposure scenarios.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 13 citations