Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic Exposure at Environmental Concentrations Disrupts Hepatic Lipid Metabolism through Oxidative Stress Induction and Endoplasmic Reticulum Homeostasis Perturbation

A study in fish found that nanoplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations accumulated in the liver and disrupted fat metabolism, causing a condition similar to fatty liver disease. Smaller nanoplastics (100 nanometers) caused more severe damage than larger microplastics by disrupting protein processing in cells and triggering oxidative stress. These findings raise concerns that nanoplastics in the environment could affect liver health in fish and potentially in humans who consume contaminated seafood.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging microplastic and nanoplastic threats: Decoding winter survival mechanisms in hybrid groupers through hepatic metabolic disruption

Researchers explored how microplastics and nanoplastics of varying sizes affect hepatic lipid metabolism in hybrid grouper fish during winter overwintering periods. The study found that polystyrene particles disrupted lipid metabolism, caused oxidative stress, and altered gene expression in liver tissue, suggesting these pollutants may compromise fish survival during metabolically demanding cold seasons.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Transcriptome sequencing and metabolite analysis reveal the toxic effects of nanoplastics on tilapia after exposure to polystyrene

Researchers exposed larval tilapia to polystyrene nanoplastics and then analyzed changes in gene expression and metabolic profiles after a recovery period. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted immune-related pathways, energy metabolism, and lipid processing in the fish, with some effects persisting even after exposure ended. The study suggests that nanoplastics can cause lasting metabolic and immune disruptions in freshwater fish.

2021 Environmental Pollution 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanospheres-induced hepatotoxicity in swamp eel (Monopterus albus): From biochemical, pathological and transcriptomic perspectives

Researchers exposed swamp eels to polystyrene nanoplastics for 28 days and found significant liver damage including oxidative stress, tissue abnormalities, and disrupted gene expression related to immune response and metabolism. Higher concentrations caused more severe liver injury, with changes detectable at both the biochemical and genetic levels. This study adds evidence that nanoplastic exposure can harm liver function in freshwater species important to aquaculture and local food supplies.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-Term Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Impairs the Liver Health of Medaka

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.

2022 Water 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Acute Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Channel Catfish Larvae: Insights From Energy Metabolism and Transcriptomic Analysis

Researchers found that acute exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics disrupted energy metabolism in channel catfish larvae, with transcriptomic analysis revealing altered gene expression in pathways related to oxidative stress and metabolic processes.

2022 Frontiers in Physiology 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on oxidative stress, histopathology and intestinal microbiota in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

Researchers exposed largemouth bass — a commercially important freshwater fish — to polystyrene nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles 100 nanometers in size) for up to 19 days, finding tissue damage in the gills, liver, and intestines along with elevated markers of cellular stress. While growth was not significantly affected, the fish adjusted their gut microbiome in response, suggesting nanoplastics trigger adaptive but potentially harmful physiological changes.

2022 Aquaculture Reports 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinctive lipidomic responses induced by polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics in zebrafish liver cells

Researchers compared how micro-sized and nano-sized polystyrene plastic particles affect fat metabolism in zebrafish liver cells. They found that both sizes were taken up by cells, but the smaller nanoplastics caused more pronounced disruptions to lipid profiles and triggered cell death pathways. The findings underscore that particle size matters when assessing the biological impact of plastic pollution on fish.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polymethylmethacrylate nanoplastics on Dicentrarchus labrax

Researchers exposed European sea bass to polymethylmethacrylate nanoplastics for 96 hours and found upregulation of lipid metabolism genes, reduced esterase activity in plasma, and lower alkaline phosphatase in skin mucus — collectively suggesting nanoplastics can interfere with both fat metabolism and immune function in marine fish.

2018 Genomics 187 citations
Article Tier 2

Dietary polystyrene nanoplastics exposure alters hepatic glycolipid metabolism, triggering inflammatory responses and apoptosis in Monopterus albus

Researchers fed swamp eels different concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics and found dose-dependent liver damage, including disrupted fat and sugar metabolism, inflammation, and cell death. Higher nanoplastic doses caused more severe oxidative stress and activated harmful signaling pathways in liver tissue. The study adds to growing evidence that nanoplastic ingestion can significantly impair liver function in aquatic species.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Dietary polystyrene nanoplastics exposure alters liver lipid metabolism and muscle nutritional quality in carnivorous marine fish large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

Researchers fed polystyrene nanoplastics to large yellow croaker fish for 21 days and found that the particles accumulated in liver cells and disrupted lipid metabolism. The nanoplastics caused excessive fat buildup in the liver and altered the fatty acid composition and texture of fish muscle tissue. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination in seafood could affect both fish health and the nutritional quality of fish consumed by humans.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 145 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of exposure to microplastics on grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) at the physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic levels

Researchers exposed grass carp to microplastics at two concentrations for 21 days and observed liver damage, inhibited growth, and increased oxidative stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed over 1,500 differentially expressed genes related to immune response, metabolism, and cellular stress pathways. The study suggests that microplastic exposure can trigger broad physiological and molecular disruptions in freshwater fish.

2021 Chemosphere 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure on Liver Cell Damage, Oxidative Stress, and Gene Expression in Juvenile Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus)

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.

2025 Toxics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolomics reveals the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in the gills of Acrossocheilus yunnanensis

Researchers used metabolomics to study how polystyrene nanoplastics affect the gills of the freshwater fish Acrossocheilus yunnanensis. They found that nanoplastic exposure caused oxidative stress, tissue lesions, and significant disruption of lipid metabolism, particularly glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid pathways. The study suggests that nanoplastics primarily harm fish gills by damaging tissue integrity and disrupting the lipid balance that maintains cell membrane function.

2025 NanoImpact 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics target lysosomes and affect lipid metabolism in RTgutGC and head kidney macrophages from Oncorhynchus mykiss

Researchers investigated the subcellular targets of polystyrene nanoplastics in rainbow trout intestinal cells and head kidney macrophages, finding that PS-NPs co-localized with lysosomes but not mitochondria and did not trigger reactive oxygen species production or alter oxidative metabolism. RNASeq analysis further revealed effects on lipid metabolism pathways, indicating that lysosomal targeting and lipid disruption are key mechanisms of nanoplastic toxicity in fish cells.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastic exposure on energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acid changes in Monopterus albus

Researchers exposed Asian swamp eels to different concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics over 35 days to study effects on metabolism. Evidence indicates that high concentrations of nanoplastics disrupted energy metabolism by altering gluconeogenic pathways and affected amino acid profiles, suggesting that nanoplastic ingestion through the food chain may pose metabolic risks to aquatic organisms.

2023 Frontiers in Marine Science 7 citations
Article Tier 2

[The effect and mechanism of exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics on lipid metabolism in mice liver].

Researchers exposed mice to 20 nm polystyrene nanoplastics and investigated the effects on hepatic lipid metabolism using multi-omics approaches. Nanoplastic exposure disrupted lipid metabolic pathways in the liver, causing significant changes in lipid accumulation and related gene expression, suggesting a mechanism by which nanoplastic ingestion may contribute to metabolic disorders.

2024 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Sub-chronic nanoplastic toxicity in Etroplus suratensis (Pisces, Cichilidae): Insights into tissue accumulation, stress and metabolic disruption

Researchers exposed pearl spot fish to polystyrene nanoplastics at different concentrations for 14 days and found that the particles accumulated in multiple organs with concentration-dependent distribution patterns. The nanoplastics caused elevated glucose and cholesterol levels, suppressed antioxidant defenses, and increased markers of oxidative damage and stress. Gene expression changes in stress response and growth-related genes suggest that nanoplastic exposure may impair both immune function and normal development in fish.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic exposure disturbs hepatic glycolipid metabolism at the physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic levels in adult zebrafish

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and examined effects on liver metabolism at multiple biological levels. The study found that microplastic exposure caused significant decreases in body weight and disrupted glycolipid metabolism, with reduced levels of key metabolic enzymes and gene expression changes in the liver. Transcriptomic analysis confirmed widespread downregulation of genes related to fatty acid, amino acid, and carbon metabolism.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 237 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic contamination: Impact on zebrafish liver metabolism and implications for aquatic environmental health

Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene nanoparticles for 28 days showed significant disruptions in liver metabolism, including altered fat processing, signs of inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. Notably, at lower doses the liver's detox enzymes appeared to break down the nanoplastics themselves, while higher doses overwhelmed these defenses and caused more severe injury.

2024 Environment International 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on common carp: Insights into blood parameters, DNA damage, and gene expression

Exposing common carp to polystyrene nanoplastics caused significant DNA damage in blood and brain cells, along with changes in genes related to immune function and stress response. Higher concentrations led to more severe effects, and the nanoplastics also disrupted liver antioxidant defenses. Since carp are widely consumed fish, these findings raise questions about the safety of fish from nanoplastic-contaminated waters for human consumption.

2024 Journal of Applied Toxicology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Lipid-Rich diet protects aquatic vertebrates by reducing polystyrene nanoparticles deposition and alleviating harmful effects from exposure

Researchers showed in zebrafish that polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate selectively in a narrow intestinal segment and alter immune and lipid metabolism gene expression, and that a lipid-rich diet significantly reduced intestinal nanoplastic deposition and partially restored normal transcriptomic profiles.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Transcriptome and Gene Family Analyses Reveal the Physiological and Immune Regulatory Mechanisms of Channa maculata Larvae in Response to Nanoplastic-Induced Oxidative Stress

Researchers exposed larvae of blotched snakehead fish to polystyrene nanoplastics at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 20 mg/L and observed concentration-dependent damage to the liver and intestines. The nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress responses and affected genes involved in immune regulation and detoxification. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution during early fish development could compromise both organ function and immune defenses.

2026 Antioxidants
Article Tier 2

Impact of sub-chronic polystyrene nanoplastics exposure on hematology, histology, and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein expression in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Researchers exposed Nile tilapia to polystyrene nanoplastics for an extended period and found the particles caused blood cell changes, tissue damage in the liver and gills, and activated stress responses in cellular structures called the endoplasmic reticulum. Even the lowest concentration tested, which matches levels found in the environment, triggered harmful effects. Since tilapia is one of the most consumed farmed fish worldwide, these results highlight potential food safety concerns from nanoplastic contamination in aquaculture.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 13 citations