Papers

61,005 results
|
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

Size-Dependent Disruption of Lipid Metabolism by Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans Revealed Through Multi-Omics and Functional Genetic Validation

Researchers used the model organism C. elegans to study how polystyrene particles of different sizes affect lipid metabolism, finding that both 100-nanometer and 1-micrometer particles disrupted fat storage and lipid processing. Multi-omics analysis identified four core genes governing the size-dependent metabolic disruption, and elevated levels of specific lipid metabolites confirmed that microplastics can meaningfully interfere with lipid homeostasis.

2026 Toxics
Article Tier 2

The toxic differentiation of micro- and nanoplastics verified by gene-edited fluorescent Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers used gene-edited fluorescent C. elegans to demonstrate that nanoplastic toxicity is size- and charge-dependent, with 100 nm positively charged polystyrene particles causing the greatest harm through intestinal accumulation and oxidative stress.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochemical and physiological effects of multigenerational exposure to spheric polystyrene microplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers found that multigenerational exposure of C. elegans to polystyrene microplastics at low concentrations triggered oxidative stress, increased detoxification enzyme activity, and caused accumulating physiological effects across five consecutive generations.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 10 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

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

Microplastics and Their Impact on Reproduction—Can we Learn From the C. elegans Model?

This review examines the growing evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics can harm reproductive systems in animals, causing oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular damage that disrupts normal reproductive function. Researchers highlight that these particles can also carry endocrine-disrupting chemicals that further compound reproductive risks. The study proposes using the nematode C. elegans as an efficient model organism for rapidly screening the reproductive effects of plastic particles.

2022 Frontiers in Toxicology 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic Exposure at Predicted Environmental Concentrations Induces Activation of Germline Ephrin Signal Associated with Toxicity Formation in the Caenorhabditis elegans Offspring

Researchers discovered that nanoplastic exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations activates the germline Ephrin signaling pathway in C. elegans, revealing a molecular mechanism underlying transgenerational toxicity formation in offspring.

2022 Toxics 33 citations
Article Tier 2

From particle size to brain function: a zebrafish-based review of micro/nanoplastic-induced neurobehavioral toxicity and mechanistic pathways

This review uses zebrafish as a model to examine how micro- and nanoplastics cause neurobehavioral toxicity, linking particle size to brain function disruption. Researchers summarize evidence that these plastic particles impair fish behavior and cause molecular-level damage in the nervous system. The findings highlight the growing concern that micro- and nanoplastics are emerging neurotoxicants in aquatic environments.

2025 Environmental Science Nano 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A mechanistic understanding of the effects of polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to nanoplastics made from PET, the plastic commonly used in water bottles and food packaging. The nanoplastics accumulated in the liver, intestine, and kidneys, causing oxidative stress, damaging cell energy systems, and disrupting metabolism. This is the first comprehensive study of PET nanoplastic toxicity mechanisms, and it is particularly relevant because PET is one of the most common plastics that humans encounter daily.

2023 Scientific Reports 68 citations
Article Tier 2

The mechanism of oxidative stress induced by nanoplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans: Integrated analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics

Researchers exposed C. elegans nematodes to polystyrene nanoplastics across a concentration range and integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic data to identify disrupted fatty acid and glutathione metabolism as the central drivers of oxidative stress, with the gene gst-4 and specific metabolites serving as key molecular signatures.

2026 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology
Article Tier 2

Suborganismal responses of the aquatic midge Chironomus riparius to polyethylene microplastics

Researchers exposed Chironomus riparius larvae to polyethylene microplastics and used transcriptomics and metabolomics to characterize suborganismal responses, finding disruption of oxidative stress pathways, energy metabolism, and cuticle synthesis — effects not captured by standard life-history endpoints alone.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-mediated delivery of di-butyl phthalate alters C. elegans lifespan and reproductive fidelity

Researchers used Caenorhabditis elegans to test how microplastics serve as vehicles for the plasticizer di-butyl phthalate, finding that MP-mediated delivery of this chemical shortened worm lifespan and altered metabolic pathways compared to chemical exposure alone.

2025
Article Tier 2

Metabolomics reveals the mechanism of polyethylene microplastic toxicity to Daphnia magna

Using metabolomics and traditional toxicology, researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics of different sizes affect the water flea Daphnia magna. The study found that microplastic exposure disrupted amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and energy pathways, with smaller particles generally causing more pronounced metabolic disturbances.

2022 Chemosphere 56 citations
Article Tier 2

High-concentration polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics co-exposure shorten insect lifespan and impose ecological risk: Multi-omics evidence from Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study how co-exposure to high concentrations of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics affects insect lifespan. Multi-omics analysis revealed that microplastic co-exposure significantly shortened lifespan and disrupted key biological pathways, suggesting potential ecological risks from cumulative microplastic exposure in the environment.

2026 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology
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

Microplastic particles cause intestinal damage and other adverse effects in zebrafish Danio rerio and nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers exposed zebrafish and nematodes to five common types of microplastics and found that several types caused intestinal damage, including cracking of the gut lining. In nematodes, microplastics significantly reduced survival, body length, and reproduction, with 1-micrometer particles causing the most severe effects. The findings suggest that intestinal damage and oxidative stress are primary mechanisms through which microplastics harm aquatic organisms.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 1334 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of nanoplastics toxicity in the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics

Researchers used quantitative proteomics to evaluate nanoplastic toxicity in the nematode C. elegans, identifying disrupted proteins involved in oxidative stress, metabolism, and cellular defense pathways, providing molecular-level insight into how nanoplastics harm organisms.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Pathway analysis of systemic transcriptome responses to injected polystyrene particles in zebrafish larvae

Researchers injected fluorescent polystyrene particles into zebrafish embryos at different developmental stages and tracked their distribution and biological effects using imaging and transcriptomics. Particles injected into the yolk of older embryos spread through the bloodstream and accumulated near the heart, triggering strong immune and inflammatory gene responses. The study reveals that even localized microplastic exposure can produce system-wide biological effects in developing organisms.

2017 Aquatic Toxicology 200 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

Different Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers compared the toxicity of 2-μm polystyrene microplastics and 0.1-μm nanoplastics in C. elegans, finding both impaired growth, locomotion, reproduction, and lifespan at 1 mg/L and above, with microplastics causing greater locomotion and reproductive toxicity and nanoplastics inducing stronger oxidative stress.

2025 Journal of Applied Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene (nano)microplastics cause size-dependent neurotoxicity, oxidative damage and other adverse effects inCaenorhabditis elegans

Researchers found that polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics cause neurotoxicity and oxidative damage in the model organism C. elegans, with effects varying by particle size. Smaller nanoscale particles tended to cause more severe toxic responses than larger microplastic particles. The study highlights that the size of plastic particles is an important factor in determining how harmful they are to living organisms.

2018 Environmental Science Nano 422 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the gut’s plastic predicament: How micro- and nano-plastics drive distinct toxicological pathways in Enchytraeus crypticus

Researchers exposed the soil invertebrate Enchytraeus crypticus to environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics (50 µm) and nanoplastics (100 nm), finding that nanoplastics caused greater gut microenvironment disruption and more severe biotoxicity than microplastics, acting through distinct mechanistic pathways.

2025 Environment International
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration in Zebrafish

This review covers how micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) exposure affects neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration in zebrafish, summarising evidence on impaired neurodevelopment, behavioural changes, and markers of neurodegeneration from studies using various polymer types and exposure routes. It frames zebrafish as a key model for understanding MNP neurotoxicity.

2025