Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

Polystyrene microplastics induce microbiota dysbiosis and inflammation in the gut of adult zebrafish

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics of two different sizes for 14 days and found significant disruptions to the gut microbiome, including shifts in key bacterial populations. Smaller microplastic particles also triggered inflammatory responses in the gut, with elevated levels of inflammatory markers at both the gene and protein level. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion can disturb gut bacteria balance and cause intestinal inflammation in aquatic organisms.

2018 Environmental Pollution 801 citations
Article Tier 2

Female zebrafish are more affected than males under polystyrene microplastics exposure

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics and discovered that female fish were significantly more affected than males, showing greater gut microbiota disruption and metabolic changes in the liver. The microplastics accumulated more in the gills than the gut, and female fish experienced disrupted sex hormones and reduced egg production. The study highlights that microplastic toxicity can vary substantially between sexes, with potential consequences for fish population health.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 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

Microplastics-perturbed gut microbiota triggered the testicular disorder in male mice: Via fecal microbiota transplantation

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics disrupted gut microbiota in mice, which in turn triggered testicular damage and reproductive disorders. Through fecal microbiota transplantation experiments, the study suggests that gut bacteria play a critical role in microplastic-induced reproductive toxicity, with inflammatory immune responses driven by bacterial changes being a key mechanism.

2022 Environmental Pollution 71 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

Polystyrene microplastics disrupt female reproductive health and fertility via sirt1 modulation in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

This study found that polystyrene microplastics disrupted female reproductive health in zebrafish by interfering with a key protein called SIRT1 that regulates hormone production. Exposed fish showed changes in egg development, hormone levels, and ovarian tissue structure. Since the hormonal pathways affected are similar in humans, these findings raise concerns about how microplastic exposure might contribute to fertility problems in women.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 85 citations
Review Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs): A Review on metabolic disruptions and potential obesogenic implications using -omics approaches based evidences on zebrafish model

This review summarizes growing evidence that polystyrene microplastics can disrupt fat and energy metabolism in zebrafish, potentially contributing to obesity-like effects. The microplastics altered lipid processing, energy balance, and gut bacteria composition through multiple biological pathways. These findings are relevant to human health because they suggest microplastics could be an overlooked factor in the global rise of obesity and metabolic disorders.

2025 Environmental Research 6 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

Gut microbiota participates in polystyrene microplastics-induced defective implantation through impairing uterine receptivity

Researchers found that oral exposure to polystyrene microplastics in mice impaired the ability of embryos to implant in the uterus by disrupting uterine receptivity. The study revealed that microplastics altered gut bacteria composition, which in turn affected hormone signaling and gene expression in the uterus. These findings suggest a gut-reproductive axis through which microplastic exposure could potentially affect fertility.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Female zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces reproductive toxicity in mother and their offspring

Researchers exposed female zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics for six weeks and found the particles disrupted sex hormone levels and oocyte development, reducing egg production in the exposed generation and carrying endocrine disruption effects into unexposed offspring through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nano/microplastics induce microbiota dysbiosis, oxidative damage, and innate immune disruption in zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene particles of two different sizes and found that both nano- and micro-sized plastics disrupted gut bacteria, caused oxidative damage, and altered immune responses. The severity of effects depended on particle size and concentration, with smaller particles and higher doses causing more harm. The study suggests that plastic particles in waterways may pose a broader threat to fish health than previously understood, affecting digestion, stress defenses, and immunity simultaneously.

2022 Microbial Pathogenesis 86 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

Polystyrene/polylactic acid microplastics impair transzonal projections and oocyte maturation via gut microbiota-mediated lipoprotein lipase inhibition

Researchers found that both conventional polystyrene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics impaired egg development and fertility in female mice by disrupting the connections between egg cells and their surrounding support cells. The microplastics altered gut bacteria, which led to metabolic changes that reduced a key enzyme needed for healthy ovarian function. The study suggests that microplastic exposure could affect reproductive health through the gut-ovary connection, and that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce gut microbiota dysbiosis and hepatic lipid metabolism disorder in mice

Researchers fed mice two sizes of polystyrene microplastics for five weeks and observed significant disruption of gut bacteria and changes in liver fat metabolism. The microplastics decreased mucus production in the gut and shifted the balance of key bacterial populations at multiple taxonomic levels. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion can trigger gut microbiota imbalance in mammals, which may in turn affect metabolic health.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 966 citations
Article Tier 2

Intestinal Accumulation of Polyester Microfibers Modulates HPG Axis Regulation and Oocyte Maturation in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Scientists found that tiny plastic fibers from clothing (called microfibers) can build up in fish intestines and disrupt their hormone systems, affecting how their eggs develop. While this study was done in zebrafish, it's concerning because humans also consume these plastic fibers through seafood and drinking water. This research suggests that microplastic pollution may be interfering with reproductive health in ways we're just beginning to understand.

2026 Fishes
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter development, behavior, and innate immunity responses following bacterial infection during zebrafish embryo-larval development

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics altered zebrafish larval development, behavior, and innate immune responses in a timing-dependent manner, with early embryonic exposure through the egg chorion amplifying susceptibility to subsequent bacterial infection.

2022 Chemosphere 24 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

Polystyrene microplastic exposure modulates gut microbiota and gut-liver axis in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata)

Researchers fed gilthead seabream diets containing polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles disrupted the communication between the gut and liver, known as the gut-liver axis. The microplastics altered gut bacteria composition, increased liver inflammation markers, and changed bile acid metabolism. The study highlights how microplastic ingestion can trigger a chain of interconnected effects across multiple organ systems in fish.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Disrupt Hepatic Vitellogenin Metabolism and Impair the Reproduction Process in Female Zebrafish

Researchers exposed female zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the particles disrupted the production of vitellogenin, a key protein involved in egg development. Higher concentrations led to reduced reproductive output and changes in liver function. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in waterways could interfere with fish reproduction by disrupting the hormonal and metabolic pathways essential for egg formation.

2024 Annals of Animal Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics enhance the microcystin-LR-induced gonadal damage and reproductive endocrine disruption in zebrafish

Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene microplastics along with microcystin-LR (a common toxin from algae blooms) suffered worse reproductive damage than when exposed to either pollutant alone. The microplastics acted as carriers that increased the amount of toxin accumulating in the fish's reproductive organs. This study demonstrates that microplastics can worsen the effects of other water pollutants by helping toxic chemicals build up in the body.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Toxicity to Zebrafish: Dysregulation of the Brain–Intestine–Microbiota Axis

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics disrupted the brain-gut connection in zebrafish at environmentally realistic concentrations, affecting growth, gut health, and brain chemistry. The nanoplastics altered neurotransmitter levels, particularly reducing a dopamine-related compound, and changed the balance of gut bacteria in ways that correlated with brain changes. These findings suggest a pathway by which nanoplastics in food and water could affect both digestive and brain health through the gut-brain axis.

2022 ACS Nano 274 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics alter the intestinal microbiota function and the hepatic metabolism status in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

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.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 129 citations