Papers

20 results
|
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

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

Effect of polystyrene nanoplastics on the intestinal histopathology, oxidative stress, and microbiota of Acrossocheilus yunnanensis

Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the intestinal health of a freshwater fish species and found significant damage to the gut lining, including ruptured tissue and damaged nutrient-absorbing structures. The nanoplastics also increased oxidative stress markers and shifted the composition of gut bacteria, reducing beneficial species. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure can compromise both the physical barrier and microbial balance of fish intestines.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
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

Interactions between intestinal microbiota and metabolites in zebrafish larvae exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics: Implications for intestinal health and glycolipid metabolism

Zebrafish larvae exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics suffered intestinal damage, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and disrupted gut bacteria -- with increases in bacteria linked to gut disease. The nanoplastics also altered metabolism related to sugar and fat processing, suggesting that ingesting these tiny particles could harm digestive health and disrupt how the body processes nutrients.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics affect digestive function and growth in juvenile groupers

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics accumulated in the liver and intestines of juvenile grouper fish, reducing digestive enzyme activity and impairing growth. The nanoplastics also decreased intestinal microbial diversity while increasing the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Vibrio. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure can significantly compromise digestive function and overall health in marine fish during early development.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 57 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

Adverse effects of polystyrene microplastics in the freshwater commercial fish, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella): Emphasis on physiological response and intestinal microbiome

Researchers exposed grass carp to different sizes and concentrations of polystyrene microplastics for up to 14 days, followed by a depuration period, and assessed physiological and intestinal microbiome effects. The study found that microplastics caused histological damage, oxidative stress, and shifts in gut microbial communities, with smaller particles and higher concentrations producing more severe effects.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics-induced intestinal barrier disruption via inflammation and apoptosis in zebrafish larvae (Danio Rerio)

Zebrafish larvae exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics showed significant gut damage, including increased cell death, inflammation, and breakdown of the intestinal barrier. The nanoplastics accumulated in the digestive tract and triggered chemical changes that suggest the plastic particles interact with biological tissue. Since zebrafish share many genetic similarities with humans, these findings raise concerns that nanoplastic ingestion could damage the human gut lining.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 15 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

Polystyrene microplastics induce endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis and inflammation by disrupting the gut microbiota in carp intestines

Researchers fed carp polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles disrupted their gut bacteria, killing off beneficial species and promoting those linked to diseases. The microplastics triggered a stress response in intestinal cells that led to inflammation, cell death, and tissue damage. Since carp is a widely eaten fish, these gut health effects raise questions about how microplastics in aquatic environments could affect the safety of fish that humans consume.

2023 Environmental Pollution 94 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

Nanoplastics impair the intestinal health of the juvenile large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea

Researchers exposed juvenile large yellow croaker fish to nano-sized polystyrene particles to assess impacts on intestinal health and growth. The study found that nanoplastics accumulated in the fish and caused disorders in digestion, antioxidant defenses, immune function, and intestinal microflora, indicating that nanoplastics can significantly impair gut health in commercially important marine fish species.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 190 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of polystyrene nanoplastics on zebrafish gut microbiota and mechanistic insights

Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics showed significant changes in their gut bacteria, with beneficial species like Bifidobacterium declining and potentially harmful bacteria increasing. The nanoplastics physically entered intestinal tissues, causing visible damage to gut cells. This study is relevant to human health because our gut microbiome plays a key role in immunity and digestion, and similar disruption from nanoplastic exposure could contribute to digestive and immune problems.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 9 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

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

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

Concurrent impacts of polystyrene nanoplastic exposure and Aeromonas hydrophila infection on oxidative stress, immune response and intestinal microbiota of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and a bacterial infection on grass carp, a common freshwater fish. They found that nanoplastic exposure worsened the impact of the infection by increasing oxidative stress, suppressing immune responses, and disrupting the gut microbiome. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in waterways could make fish more vulnerable to disease by weakening their natural defenses.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induce apoptosis, histopathological damage, and glutathione metabolism disorder in the intestine of juvenile East Asian river prawns (Macrobrachium nipponense)

Researchers exposed juvenile East Asian river prawns to different concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics for 28 days. They found that nanoplastic exposure caused intestinal cell death, tissue damage, and disrupted the glutathione antioxidant system in a dose-dependent manner. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in freshwater environments could significantly compromise the intestinal health and immune defenses of crustaceans.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 5 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