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Li H, Jiang Y, Gu Y, Chen C, Yu J, Wang C, Shi C, Pan R, Chen H. Environmentally persistent free radicals on photoaging microplastics shortens longevity via inducing oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 361:142560. [PMID: 38851504 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that exert multiple toxicological effects. Current studies have mainly focused on modeled or unaged MPs, which lack environmental relevance. The generation and toxicity of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) on photoaging polystyrene (PS) have not been well studied, and the role of EPFRs on the toxic effects of photoaged PS is easily ignored. Photoaging primarily produces EPFRs, followed by an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and oxidative potential, which alter the physicochemical properties of photoaged PS. The mean lifespan and lipofuscin content were significantly altered after acute exposure to photoaged PS for 45 d (PS-45) and 60 d (PS-60) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Intestinal ROS and gst-4::GFP expression were enhanced, concomitant with the upregulation of associated genes. Treatment with N-acetyl-l-cysteine by radical quenching test significantly decreased EPFRs levels on the aged PS and inhibited the acceleration of the aging and oxidative stress response in nematodes. Pearson's correlation analysis also indicated that the EPFRs levels were significantly associated with these factors. Thus, the EPFRs generated on photoaged PS contribute to the acceleration of aging by oxidative stress. This study provides new insights into the potential toxicity and highlights the need to consider the role of EPFRs in the toxicity assessment of photoaged PS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Yongqi Jiang
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Yulun Gu
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Chongli Shi
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Ruolin Pan
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China.
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2
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Xu T, Chen H, Zhang L, Xie D, Tan S, Guo H, Xiang M, Yu Y. Aged polystyrene microplastics cause reproductive impairment via DNA-damage induced apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 362:142519. [PMID: 38830467 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Although polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) could induce toxic effects on environmental organisms, the toxicity of aged PS-MPs with H2O2 on soil organisms remains unclear. Our study utilized Caenorhabditis elegans as model organism to examine the reproductive toxicity of pristine PS-MPs (pPS-MPs) and aged PS-MPs (aPS-MPs) at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1-100 μg/L). Acute exposure to aPS-MPs could induce greater reproductive impairment compared to pPS-MPs, as evidenced by changes in brood size and egg release. Assessment of gonad development using the number of mitotic cells, length of gonad arm, and relative area of gonad arm as parameters revealed a high reproductive toxicity caused by aPS-MPs exposure. Furthermore, aPS-MPs exposure promoted substantial germline apoptosis. Additionally, exposure to aPS-MPs (100 μg/L) markedly altered the expression of DNA damage-induced apoptosis-related genes (e.g., egl-1, cep-1, clk-2, ced-3, -4, and -9). Alterations in germline apoptosis caused by aPS-MPs were observed in mutants of cep-1, hus-1, egl-1, ced-3, -4, and -9. Consequently, the augmentation of reproductive toxicity resulting from aPS-MPs exposure was attributed to DNA damage-triggered cellular apoptosis. Additionally, the EGL-1-CEP-1-HUS-1-CED-3-CED-4-CED-9 signaling pathway was identified as a key regulator of germline apoptosis in nematodes. Our study provides insights into potential environmental risk of aPS-MPs with H2O2 on environmental organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Xu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China; School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, 710048, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China; Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Luohong Zhang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, 710048, China
| | - Dongli Xie
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China; College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou, 404100, China
| | - Shihui Tan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China; School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
| | - Hongzhi Guo
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China; College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou, 404100, China
| | - Mingdeng Xiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China.
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3
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Li X, Zheng T, Zhang J, Chen H, Xiang C, Sun Y, Dang Y, Ding P, Hu G, Yu Y. Photoaged polystyrene microplastics result in neurotoxicity associated with neurotransmission and neurodevelopment in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 250:118524. [PMID: 38401682 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants widely distributed in the environment, inducing toxic effects in various organisms. However, the neurotoxicity and underlying mechanisms of simulated sunlight-aged MPs have rarely been investigated. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μg/L) of virgin polystyrene (V-PS) and aged polystyrene (A-PS) for 120 hpf to evaluate the neurotoxicity. The results demonstrated that simulated sunlight irradiation altered the physicochemical properties (morphology, functional groups, and chemical composition) of V-PS. Exposure to A-PS causes greater toxicity on locomotor ability in larval zebrafish than V-PS. Motor neuron development was disrupted by transgenic (hb9-GFP) zebrafish larvae exposed to A-PS, with significant alterations in neurotransmitter levels (ACh, DA, 5-HT, and GABA) and enzyme activity (AChE, ChAT, and ChE). Further investigation found that exposure to A-PS had a significantly impact on the expression of neurotransmission and neurodevelopment-related genes in zebrafish. These findings suggest that A-PS induces neurotoxicity by its effects on neurotransmission and neurodevelopment. This study highlights the neurotoxic effects and mechanisms of simulated sunlight irradiation of MPs, providing new insights for assessing the ecological risks of photoaged MPs in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintong Li
- The Postgraduate Training Base of Jinzhou Medical University (South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment), Guangzhou, 510655, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Tong Zheng
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Jiayi Zhang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Chongdan Xiang
- Department of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Yanan Sun
- The Postgraduate Training Base of Jinzhou Medical University (South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment), Guangzhou, 510655, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Yao Dang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Ping Ding
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China.
| | - Guocheng Hu
- The Postgraduate Training Base of Jinzhou Medical University (South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment), Guangzhou, 510655, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China.
| | - Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
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Junaid M, Hamid N, Liu S, Abbas Z, Imran M, Haider MR, Wang B, Chen G, Khan HK, Yue Q, Xu N, Wang J. Interactive impacts of photoaged micro(nano)plastics and co-occurring chemicals in the environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:172213. [PMID: 38580116 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
In the environment, sunlight or ultraviolet (UV) radiation is considered to be the primary cause of plastic aging, leading to their fragmentation into particles, including micro(nano)plastics (MNPs). Photoaged MNPs possess diverse interactive properties and ecotoxicological implications substantially different from those of pristine plastic particles. This review aims to highlight the mechanisms and implications of UV-induced photoaging of MNPs, with an emphasis on various UV sources and their interactions with co-occurring organic and inorganic chemicals, as well as the associated ecological and health impacts and factors affecting those interactions. Compared to UV-B, UV-A and UV-C were more widely used in laboratory studies for MNP degradation. Photoaged MNPs act as vectors for the transportation of organic pollutants, organic matter, and inorganic chemicals in the environment. Literature showed that photoaged MNPs exhibit a higher sorption capacity for PPCPs, PAHs, PBDEs, pesticides, humic acid, fulvic acid, heavy metals, and metallic nanoparticles than pristine MNPs, potentially causing significant changes in associated ecological and health impacts. Combined exposure to photoaged MNPs and organic and inorganic pollutants significantly altered mortality rate, decreased growth rate, histological alterations, neurological impairments, reproductive toxicity, induced oxidative stress, thyroid disruption, hepatotoxicity, and genotoxicity in vivo, both in aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Limited studies were reported in vitro and found decreased cellular growth and survival, induced oxidative stress, and compromised the permeability and integrity of the cell membrane. In addition, several environmental factors (temperature, organic matter, ionic strength, time, and pH), MNP properties (polymer types, sizes, surface area, shapes, colour, and concentration), and chemical properties (pollutant type, concentration, and physiochemical properties) can influence the photoaging of MNPs and associated impacts. Lastly, the research gaps and prospects of MNP photoaging and associated implications were also summarized. Future research should focus on the photoaging of MNPs under environmentally relevant conditions, exploiting the polydisperse characteristics of environmental plastics, to make this process more realistic for mitigating plastic pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Junaid
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510641, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China
| | - Naima Hamid
- Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Ocean Pollution and Ecotoxicology (OPEC) Research Group, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Shulin Liu
- Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zohaib Abbas
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Department of Crop Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Muhammad Rizwan Haider
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Guanglong Chen
- Institute of Eco-Environmental Research, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Hudda Khaleeq Khan
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Qiang Yue
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China
| | - Nan Xu
- Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510641, China.
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Chen H, Gu Y, Tan S, Chen X, Jiang Y, Guo H, Chen J, Wang C, Chen C, Li H, Yu Y. Photoaged Nanopolystyrene Affects Neurotransmission to Induce Transgenerational Neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:8665-8674. [PMID: 38712532 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Nanopolystyrene (NPS), a frequently employed nanoplastic, is an emerging environmental contaminant known to cause neurotoxicity in various organisms. However, the potential for transgenerational neurotoxic effects, especially from photoaged NPS (P-NPS), remains underexplored. This study investigated the aging of virgin NPS (V-NPS) under a xenon lamp to simulate natural sunlight exposure, which altered the physicochemical characteristics of the NPS. The parental generation (P0) of Caenorhabditis elegans was exposed to environmental concentrations (0.1-100 μg/L) of V-NPS and P-NPS, with subsequent offspring (F1-F4 generations) cultured under NPS-free conditions. Exposure to 100 μg/L P-NPS resulted in more pronounced deterioration in locomotion behavior in the P0 generation compared to V-NPS; this deterioration persisted into the F1-F2 generations but returned to normal in the F3-F4 generations. Additionally, maternal exposure to P-NPS damaged dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and serotonergic neurons in subsequent generations. Correspondingly, there was a significant decrease in the levels of dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin, associated with reduced expression of neurotransmission-related genes dat-1, eat-4, and tph-1 in the P0 and F1-F2 generations. Further analysis showed that the effects of P-NPS on locomotion behavior were absent in subsequent generations of eat-4(ad572), tph-1(mg280), and dat-1(ok157) mutants, highlighting the pivotal roles of these genes in mediating P-NPS-induced transgenerational neurotoxicity. These findings emphasize the crucial role of neurotransmission in the transgenerational effects of P-NPS on locomotion behavior, providing new insights into the environmental risks associated with exposure to photoaged nanoplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yulun Gu
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Shihui Tan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xiaoxia Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yongqi Jiang
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Hongzhi Guo
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Jinyu Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Hui Li
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
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Eisen A, Pioro EP, Goutman SA, Kiernan MC. Nanoplastics and Neurodegeneration in ALS. Brain Sci 2024; 14:471. [PMID: 38790450 PMCID: PMC11119293 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Plastic production, which exceeds one million tons per year, is of global concern. The constituent low-density polymers enable spread over large distances and micro/nano particles (MNPLs) induce organ toxicity via digestion, inhalation, and skin contact. Particles have been documented in all human tissues including breast milk. MNPLs, especially weathered particles, can breach the blood-brain barrier, inducing neurotoxicity. This has been documented in non-human species, and in human-induced pluripotent stem cell lines. Within the brain, MNPLs initiate an inflammatory response with pro-inflammatory cytokine production, oxidative stress with generation of reactive oxygen species, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Glutamate and GABA neurotransmitter dysfunction also ensues with alteration of excitatory/inhibitory balance in favor of reduced inhibition and resultant neuro-excitation. Inflammation and cortical hyperexcitability are key abnormalities involved in the pathogenic cascade of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and are intricately related to the mislocalization and aggregation of TDP-43, a hallmark of ALS. Water and many foods contain MNPLs and in humans, ingestion is the main form of exposure. Digestion of plastics within the gut can alter their properties, rendering them more toxic, and they cause gut microbiome dysbiosis and a dysfunctional gut-brain axis. This is recognized as a trigger and/or aggravating factor for ALS. ALS is associated with a long (years or decades) preclinical period and neonates and infants are exposed to MNPLs through breast milk, milk substitutes, and toys. This endangers a time of intense neurogenesis and establishment of neuronal circuitry, setting the stage for development of neurodegeneration in later life. MNPL neurotoxicity should be considered as a yet unrecognized risk factor for ALS and related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Eisen
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6S 1Z3, Canada;
| | - Erik P. Pioro
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6S 1Z3, Canada;
| | - Stephen A. Goutman
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
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Errázuriz León R, Araya Salcedo VA, Novoa San Miguel FJ, Llanquinao Tardio CRA, Tobar Briceño AA, Cherubini Fouilloux SF, de Matos Barbosa M, Saldías Barros CA, Waldman WR, Espinosa-Bustos C, Hornos Carneiro MF. Photoaged polystyrene nanoplastics exposure results in reproductive toxicity due to oxidative damage in Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 348:123816. [PMID: 38508369 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The increase of plastic production together with the incipient reuse/recycling system has resulted in massive discards into the environment. This has facilitated the formation of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) which poses major risk for environmental health. Although some studies have investigated the effects of pristine MNPs on reproductive health, the effects of weathered MNPs have been poorly investigated. Here we show in Caenorhabditis elegans that exposure to photoaged polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNP-UV) results in worse reproductive performance than pristine PSNP (i.e., embryonic/larval lethality plus a decrease in the brood size, accompanied by a high number of unfertilized eggs), besides it affects size and locomotion behavior. Those effects were potentially generated by reactive products formed during UV-irradiation, since we found higher levels of reactive oxygen species and increased expression of GST-4 in worms exposed to PSNP-UV. Those results are supported by physical-chemical characterization analyses which indicate significant formation of oxidative degradation products from PSNP under UV-C irradiation. Our study also demonstrates that PSNP accumulate predominantly in the gastrointestinal tract of C. elegans (with no accumulation in the gonads), being completely eliminated at 96 h post-exposure. We complemented the toxicological analysis of PSNP/PSNP-UV by showing that the activation of the stress response via DAF-16 is dependent of the nanoplastics accumulation. Our data suggest that exposure to the wild PSNP, i.e., polystyrene nanoplastics more similar to those actually found in the environment, results in more important reprotoxic effects. This is associated with the presence of degradation products formed during UV-C irradiation and their interaction with biological targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Errázuriz León
- Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 7820436, Chile
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Marcela de Matos Barbosa
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto/SP, 14040-901, Brazil
| | | | | | - Christian Espinosa-Bustos
- Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 7820436, Chile
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8
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Sun Z, Zhang S, Zheng T, He C, Xu J, Lin D, Zhang L. Nanoplastics inhibit carbon fixation in algae: The effect of aging. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29814. [PMID: 38681555 PMCID: PMC11053220 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the considerable efforts devoted to the toxicological assessment of nanoplastics, the effect of UV-irradiation induced aging, a realistic environmental process, on the toxicity of nanoplastics toward microalgae and its underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Herein, this study comparatively investigated the toxicities of polystyrene nanoplastics (nano-PS) and the UV-aged nano-PS on the eukaryotic alga Chlorella vulgaris, focusing on evaluating their inhibitory effects on carbon fixation. Exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1-10 mg/L) of nano-PS caused severe damage to chloroplast, inhibited the photosynthetic efficiency and electron transport, and suppressed the activities of carbon fixation related enzymes. Multi-omics results revealed that nano-PS interfered with energy supply by disrupting light reactions and TCA cycle and hindered the Calvin cycle, thereby inhibiting the photosynthetic carbon fixation of algae. The above alterations partially recovered after a recovery period. The aged nano-PS were less toxic than the pristine ones as evidenced by the mitigated inhibitory effect on algal growth and carbon fixation. The aging process introduced oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of nano-PS, increased the hydrophilicity of nano-PS, limited their attachment on algal cells, and thus reduced the toxicity. The findings of this work highlight the potential threat of nanoplastics to the global carbon cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Sun
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Shuang Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Tianying Zheng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Caijiao He
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jiang Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Daohui Lin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Luqing Zhang
- Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, College of Agricultural and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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9
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Sofield CE, Anderton RS, Gorecki AM. Mind over Microplastics: Exploring Microplastic-Induced Gut Disruption and Gut-Brain-Axis Consequences. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:4186-4202. [PMID: 38785524 PMCID: PMC11120006 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46050256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
As environmental plastic waste degrades, it creates an abundance of diverse microplastic particles. Consequently, microplastics contaminate drinking water and many staple food products, meaning the oral ingestion of microplastics is an important exposure route for the human population. Microplastics have long been considered inert, however their ability to promote microbial dysbiosis as well as gut inflammation and dysfunction suggests they are more noxious than first thought. More alarmingly, there is evidence for microplastics permeating from the gut throughout the body, with adverse effects on the immune and nervous systems. Coupled with the now-accepted role of the gut-brain axis in neurodegeneration, these findings support the hypothesis that this ubiquitous environmental pollutant is contributing to the rising incidence of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. This comprehensive narrative review explores the consequences of oral microplastic exposure on the gut-brain-axis by considering current evidence for gastrointestinal uptake and disruption, immune activation, translocation throughout the body, and neurological effects. As microplastics are now a permanent feature of the global environment, understanding their effects on the gut, brain, and whole body will facilitate critical further research and inform policy changes aimed at reducing any adverse consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E. Sofield
- School of Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA 6160, Australia; (C.E.S.); (R.S.A.)
| | - Ryan S. Anderton
- School of Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA 6160, Australia; (C.E.S.); (R.S.A.)
- Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA 6160, Australia
| | - Anastazja M. Gorecki
- School of Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA 6160, Australia; (C.E.S.); (R.S.A.)
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10
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Liu H, Tan X, Wu Y, Li X, Hu Z, Lei S, Fan W, Wang Z. Long-term exposure to 6-PPD quinone at environmentally relevant concentrations causes neurotoxicity by affecting dopaminergic, serotonergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic neuronal systems in Caenorhabditis elegans. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171291. [PMID: 38423311 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
6-PPD quinone (6-PPDQ), an emerging environmental pollutant, is converted based on 6-PPD via ozonation. However, a systematic evaluation on possible neurotoxicity of long-term and low-dose 6-PPDQ exposure and the underlying mechanism remain unknown. In the present work, 0.1-10 μg/L 6-PPDQ was added to treat Caenorhabditis elegans for 4.5 days, with locomotion behavior, neuronal development, sensory perception behavior, neurotransmitter content, and levels of neurotransmission-related genes being the endpoints. 6-PPDQ exposure at 0.1-10 μg/L significantly reduced locomotion behavior, and that at 1-10 μg/L decreased sensory perception behavior in nematodes. Moreover, 6-PPDQ exposure at 10 μg/L notably induced damage to the development of dopaminergic, glutamatergic, serotonergic, and GABAergic neurons. Importantly, nematodes with chronic 6-PPDQ exposure at 10 μg/L were confirmed to suffer obviously decreased dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, and GABA contents and altered neurotransmission-related gene expression. Meanwhile, the potential binding sites of 6-PPDQ and neurotransmitter synthesis-related proteins were further shown by molecular docking method. Lastly, Pearson's correlation analysis showed that locomotion behavior and sensory perception behavior were positively correlated with the dopaminergic, serotonergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic neurotransmission. Consequently, 6-PPDQ exposure disturbed neurotransmitter transmission, while such changed molecular foundation for neurotransmitter transmission was related to 6-PPDQ toxicity induction. The present work sheds new lights on the mechanisms of 6-PPDQ and its possible neurotoxicity to organisms at environmentally relevant concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanliang Liu
- Environment and Health research division, Public Health Research Center,Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu, China; Institute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Biomass Energy and Carbon Reduction Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiaochao Tan
- Environment and Health research division, Public Health Research Center,Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu Wu
- Environment and Health research division, Public Health Research Center,Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaona Li
- Institute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Biomass Energy and Carbon Reduction Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Zhiyong Hu
- School of Public Health and Management, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Shuhan Lei
- Institute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Biomass Energy and Carbon Reduction Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Wendong Fan
- Environment and Health research division, Public Health Research Center,Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhenyu Wang
- Institute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Biomass Energy and Carbon Reduction Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
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11
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Gu Y, Jiang Y, Chen X, Li L, Chen H, Chen J, Wang C, Yu J, Chen C, Li H. Generation of environmentally persistent free radicals on photoaged tire wear particles and their neurotoxic effects on neurotransmission in Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 186:108640. [PMID: 38608385 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Tire wear particles (TWP) are a prevalent form of microplastics (MPs) extensively distributed in the environment, raising concerns about their environmental behaviors and risks. However, knowledge regarding the properties and toxicity of these particles at environmentally relevant concentrations, specifically regarding the role of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) generated during TWP photoaging, remains limited. In this study, the evolution of EPFRs on TWP under different photoaging times and their adverse effects on Caenorhabditis elegans were systematically investigated. The photoaging process primarily resulted in the formation of EPFRs and reactive oxygen species (O2•-, ⋅OH, and 1O2), altering the physicochemical properties of TWP. The exposure of nematodes to 100 μg/L of TWP-50 (TWP with a photoaging time of 50 d) led to a significant decrease in locomotory behaviors (e.g., head thrashes, body bends, and wavelength) and neurotransmitter contents (e.g., dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin). Similarly, the expression of neurotransmission-related genes was reduced in nematodes exposed to TWP-50. Furthermore, the addition of free-radical inhibitors significantly suppressed TWP-induced neurotoxicity. Notably, correlation analysis revealed a significantly negative correlation between EPFRs levels and the locomotory behaviors and neurotransmitter contents of nematodes. Thus, it was concluded that EPFRs on photoaged TWP induce neurotoxicity by affecting neurotransmission. These findings elucidate the toxicity effects and mechanisms of EPFRs, emphasizing the importance of considering their contributions when evaluating the environmental risks associated with TWP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulun Gu
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yongqi Jiang
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Xiaoxia Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Liangzhong Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Jinyu Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Hui Li
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
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12
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Wang J, Yang Y, Shi Y, Wei L, Gao L, Liu M. Oxidized/unmodified-polyethylene microplastics neurotoxicity in mice: Perspective from microbiota-gut-brain axis. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 185:108523. [PMID: 38484610 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are inevitably oxidized in the environment, and their potential toxicity to organisms has attracted wide attention. However, the neurotoxicity and mechanism of oxidized polyethylene (Ox-PE) MPs to organisms remain unclear. Herein, we prepared oxidized low-density polyethylene (Ox-LDPE) and established a model of MPs exposure by continuously orally gavage of C57BL/6 J mice with LDPE-MPs/Ox-LDPE-MPs for 28 days with or without oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum DP189 and galactooligosaccharides (DP189&GOS). The experimental results indicated that LDPE-MPs or Ox-LDPE-MPs caused several adverse effects in mice, mainly manifested by behavioral changes, disruption of the intestinal and blood-brain barrier (BBB), and simultaneous oxidative stress, inflammatory reactions, and pathological damage in the brain and intestines. Brain transcriptomic analysis revealed that the cholinergic synaptic signaling pathways, which affect cognitive function, were significantly disrupted after exposure to LDPE-MPs or Ox-LDPE-MPs. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western Blotting results further demonstrated that the critical genes (Slc5a7, Chat and Slc18a3) and proteins (Chat and Slc18a3) in the cholinergic synaptic signaling pathway were significantly down-regulated after exposure to LDPE-MPs or Ox-LDPE-MPs. These alterations lead to reduced acetylcholine concentration, which causes cognitive dysfunction in mice. Importantly, the DP189&GOS interventions effectively mitigated the MPs-induced cognitive dysfunction and intestinal microbiota alteration, improved intestinal and BBB integrity, attenuated the oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and also saw a rebound in the release of acetylcholine. These results indicated that LDPE-MPs and Ox-LDPE-MPs exert neurotoxic effects on mice by inducing oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and dysregulation of cholinergic signaling pathways in the mouse brain. That probiotic supplementation is effective in attenuating MPs-induced neurotoxicity in mice. Overall, this study reveals the potential mechanisms of neurotoxicity of LDPE-MPs and Ox-LDPE-MPs on mice and their improvement measures, necessary to assess the potential risks of plastic contaminants to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Ying Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Yongpeng Shi
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Li Wei
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Lan Gao
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
| | - Mingxin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
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13
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Ferreira-Filipe DA, Paço A, Pinho B, Silva R, Silva SAM, Jesus F, Pereira JL, Duarte AC, Rocha-Santos TAP, Patrício-Silva AL. Microplastics from agricultural mulch films: Biodegradation and ecotoxicity in freshwater systems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169287. [PMID: 38103621 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The application of bio-based biodegradable mulch films in agriculture has raised environmental concerns regarding their potential impacts on adjacent freshwater ecosystems. This study investigated the biodegradation of microplastics derived from a bio-based biodegradable mulch (bio-MPs) and its acute and chronic ecotoxicity considering relevant scenarios (up to 200 and 250 mg/kg of sediment, using pristine and/or UV-aged particles), using the fungus Penicillium brevicompactum and the dipteran Chironomus riparius as model organisms, respectively, due to their ecological relevance in freshwater environments. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis suggested changes in the fungus's carbohydrate reserves and bio-MP degradation through the appearance of low molecular weight esters throughout a 28 day biodegradation test. In a short-term exposure (48 h), C. riparius larvae exposed to pristine or UV-aged bio-MPs had up to 2 particles in their gut. Exposure to pristine bio-MPs decreased larval aerobic metabolism (<20 %) and increased neurotransmission (>15 %), whereas exposure to UV-aged bio-MPs activated larval aerobic metabolism (>20 %) and increased antioxidant defences (catalase activity by >30 % and glutathione-s-transferase by >20 %) and neurotransmission (>30 %). Longer-term (28-d) exposure to UV-aged bio-MPs did not affect larval survival and growth nor the dipteran's emergence but increased male numbers (>30 %) at higher concentrations. This study suggests that the selected agricultural bio-based mulch film is prone to biodegradation by a naturally occurring fungus. However, there is a potential for endocrine disruption in the case of prolonged exposures to UV-aged microplastics. This study emphasises the importance of further research to elucidate the potential ecological effects of these plastic products, to ensure effective management practices, and to establish new regulations governing their use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo A Ferreira-Filipe
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ana Paço
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Bruna Pinho
- Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Rafael Silva
- Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Sara A M Silva
- Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Fátima Jesus
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Joana L Pereira
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Armando C Duarte
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Teresa A P Rocha-Santos
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ana L Patrício-Silva
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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14
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Chen H, Chen X, Ding P, Gu Y, Jiang Y, Li X, Hu G, Li L, Wang C, Yu J, Li H. Photoaging enhances combined toxicity of microplastics and tetrabromobisphenol A by inducing intestinal damage and oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169259. [PMID: 38128659 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging environmental contaminants that often co-exist with tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in the environment. However, the joint effect of TBBPA and photoaged MPs at ambient concentrations remains unknown largely. In this study, the combined toxicity of ultraviolet-aged polystyrene (UV-PS) and TBBPA was investigated in Caenorhabditis elegans. UV irradiation could change the physical and chemical characteristics of polystyrene (PS), and UV-PS (90.218 μg/g) showed a stronger adsorption capacity than PS of 79.424 μg/g. Toxicity testing showed that 1 μg/L UV-PS enhanced the toxic effect of 1 μg/L TBBPA by reducing body length, locomotion behavior, and brood size in nematodes. Using ROS production, lipofuscin accumulation, and expression of gst-4::GFP as endpoints, the combined exposure of UV-PS and TBBPA induced stronger oxidative stress than TBBPA alone. Joint exposure to UV-PS and TBBPA significantly increased of Nile red and blue food dye in its intestinal tract compared to that in the TBBPA exposure group, indicating that co-exposure enhanced intestinal permeability. After co-exposure to UV-PS and TBBPA, the expression of the associated genes detected increased significantly. Therefore, UV-PS enhances the adverse effects of TBBPA through intestinal damage and oxidative stress in nematodes. These findings suggest that the co-presence of photoaged PS and TBBPA results in high environmental risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Chen
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Xiaoxia Chen
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Ping Ding
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Yulun Gu
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yongqi Jiang
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Xintong Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Guocheng Hu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Liangzhong Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Chen Wang
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Hui Li
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
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15
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Li H, Gu Y, Jiang Y, Ding P, Chen X, Chen C, Pan R, Shi C, Wang S, Chen H. Environmentally persistent free radicals on photoaged nanopolystyrene induce neurotoxicity by affecting dopamine, glutamate, serotonin and GABA in Caenorhabditis elegans. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167684. [PMID: 37820818 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are widely detected in the environment and induce toxic effects in various organisms. However, the properties and toxicity associated with environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) in photoaged nanopolystyrene (NPS) remain largely unknown. We investigated the generation of EPFRs on photoaged NPS and their neurotoxicity and underlying mechanism in Caenorhabditis elegans. The results suggested that photoaging induces the generation of EPFRs and reactive oxygen species (O2•-, •OH, and 1O2), which altered the physicochemical properties (morphology, crystallinity, and functional groups) of NPS. Acute exposure to 1 μg/L of NPS-60 (NPS with light irradiation time of 60 d) significantly decreased locomotion behaviors and neurotransmitter contents (e.g., glutamate, serotonin, dopamine, and γ-aminobutyric acid). Treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) by radical quenching test significantly reduced EPFRs levels on the aged NPS, and the toxicity of NAC-quenching NPS was decreased in nematodes compared to those in photoaged NPS. EPFRs also caused dysfunction of neurotransmission-related gene expression in C. elegans. Thus, EPFRs generated on photoaged NPS contributed to neurotoxicity by affecting dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and γ-aminobutyric acid neurotransmission. The study highlights the potential risks of photoaged NPS and the contributions of EPFRs to toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yulun Gu
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yongqi Jiang
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Ping Ding
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xiaoxia Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Ruolin Pan
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Chongli Shi
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Susu Wang
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
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16
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Wei S, Wu F, Liu J, Ji W, He X, Liu R, Yu P, Mao L. Direct Quantification of Nanoplastics Neurotoxicity by Single-Vesicle Electrochemistry. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202315681. [PMID: 37950108 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202315681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics are recently recognized as neurotoxic factors for the nervous systems. However, whether and how they affect vesicle chemistry (i.e., vesicular catecholamine content and exocytosis) remains unclear. This study offers the first direct evidence for the nanoplastics-induced neurotoxicity by single-vesicle electrochemistry. We observe the cellular uptake of polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics into model neuronal cells and mouse primary neurons, leading to cell viability loss depending on nanoplastics exposure time and concentration. By using single-vesicle electrochemistry, we find the reductions in the vesicular catecholamine content, the frequency of stimulated exocytotic spikes, the neurotransmitter release amount of single exocytotic event, and the membrane-vesicle fusion pore opening-closing speed. Mechanistic investigations suggest that PS nanoplastics can cause disruption of filamentous actin (F-actin) assemblies at cytomembrane zones and change the kinetic patterns of vesicle exocytosis. Our finding shapes the first quantitative picture of neurotoxicity induced by high-concentration nanoplastics exposure at a single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyi Wei
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 Zhongguancun North 1st St, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 Yanqihu East Rd, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Fei Wu
- College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai St, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 Zhongguancun North 1st St, Beijing, 100190, China
- Institute of Analysis and Testing, Beijing Academy of Science and Technology, No.27, West 3rd Ring North Rd, Beijing, 100089, China
| | - Wenliang Ji
- College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai St, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xiulan He
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 Zhongguancun North 1st St, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Ran Liu
- College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai St, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Ping Yu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 Zhongguancun North 1st St, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 Yanqihu East Rd, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Lanqun Mao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 Zhongguancun North 1st St, Beijing, 100190, China
- College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai St, Beijing, 100875, China
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17
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Wang J, Tian H, Shi Y, Yang Y, Yu F, Cao H, Gao L, Liu M. The enhancement in toxic potency of oxidized functionalized polyethylene-microplastics in mice gut and Caco-2 cells. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166057. [PMID: 37553056 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are inevitably oxidized in the environment, however, to date, no studies have discussed the biological toxicity of oxidized polyethylene (Ox-PE) MPs. In this study, oxidized low-density polyethylene (Ox-LDPE), a representative Ox-PE, was prepared using a selective oxidation method. The difference in toxicity between LDPE-MPs and Ox-LDPE-MPs were evaluated in C57BL/6 mice and Caco-2 cells. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses revealed that some hydrocarbon-containing groups were transformed into carboxyl and ketone groups during selective oxidation. In vivo experiment results showed that LDPE-MPs and Ox-LDPE-MPs exists in the intestinal (duodenum and colon) of mice, and Ox-LDPE-MPs caused more severe intestinal histological changes, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response. The gut microbiota data showed that the relative abundance of Lactobacillus decreased significantly in the LDPE-MP- and Ox-LDPE-MP-exposed groups (P < 0.05). The predicted Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway suggested that exposure to LDPE-MPs or Ox-LDPE-MPs inhibited glycan biosynthesis and metabolism in the flora (P < 0.05). In vitro experiment results showed that selective oxidation to LDPE promoted its uptake by cells and aggravated adverse effects on cells, including reduced cell viability, damaged cell membrane, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial depolarization. The major mechanism of the increased toxicity of Ox-LDPE-MPs may be its easier accumulation and the ionic effect of oxygen-containing functional groups. Overall, these findings provide insights on the differences in toxicity between LDPE-MPs and Ox-LDPE-MPs. They also provide new perspectives for understanding the biohazards of MPs, which are necessary to accurately assess the potential environmental and health risks of these plastic pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Huanbing Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Yongpeng Shi
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Ying Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Feifei Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Hanwen Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Lan Gao
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
| | - Mingxin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
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18
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Zhou T, Wu J, Liu Y, Xu A. Seawater Accelerated the Aging of Polystyrene and Enhanced Its Toxic Effects on Caenorhabditis elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17219. [PMID: 38139049 PMCID: PMC10743734 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants and pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems. Although previous studies have documented the mechanisms and toxic effects of aging MPs in various environments, the impact of the marine environment on MPs remains unclear. In the present study, the aging process of polystyrene (PS) in seawater was simulated and the changes in its physicochemical properties were investigated. Our results showed that the surface of the PS eroded in the seawater, which was accompanied by the release of aged MPs with a smaller size. In situ optical photothermal infrared microspectroscopy revealed that the mechanism of PS aging was related to the opening of the carbonyl group and breaking of the bond between carbon and benzene removal. To verify the toxic effects of aged PS, Caenorhabditis elegans was exposed to PS. Aged PS resulted in a greater reduction in locomotion, vitality, and reproduction than virgin PS. Mechanistically, aged PS led to oxidative stress, high glutathione s-transferase activity, and high total glutathione in worms. Together, our findings provided novel information regarding the accelerated aging of PS in seawater and the increased toxicity of aged PS, which could improve our understanding of MPs' ecotoxicity in the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- School of Graduate Students, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jiajie Wu
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- School of Graduate Students, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yun Liu
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- School of Graduate Students, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - An Xu
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- School of Graduate Students, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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19
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Yu Y, Tan S, Xie D, Li H, Chen H, Dang Y, Xiang M. Photoaged microplastics induce neurotoxicity associated with damage to serotonergic, glutamatergic, dopaminergic, and GABAergic neuronal systems in Caenorhabditis elegans. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:165874. [PMID: 37517734 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that cause neurotoxicity in various organisms. MPs are typically affected by light irradiation and undergo photoaging. However, the neurotoxic effects of photoaged polystyrene (P-PS) and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, locomotion behaviors, neuronal development, neurotransmitter levels, and the expression of neurotransmission-related genes were investigated in Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to P-PS at environment-relevant concentrations (0.1-100 μg/L). The characterization results showed that photoaging accelerated the aging process and changed the physicochemical properties of the MPs. The toxicity results suggested that exposure to 1-100 μg/L P-PS caused more severe neurotoxicity than virgin polystyrene (V-PS) with endpoints of head thrashes, body bends, wavelength, and mean amplitude. Exposure to P-PS also altered the fluorescence intensity and neurodegeneration percentage of serotonergic, glutamatergic, dopaminergic, and aminobutyric acid (GABA) in transgenic nematodes. Similarly, significant reductions in the levels of these neurotransmitters were also observed. Based on Pearson's correlation, locomotion behaviors were negatively correlated with the neurotransmission of serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, and GABA. Further investigation suggested that the expression of neurotransmitter-related genes (e.g., tph-1, eat-4, and unc-46) was significantly altered in the nematodes. Collectively, the neurotoxic effects of P-PS were attributed to abnormal neurotransmission. This study highlights the potential toxicity of MPs photoaged under environmentally relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Shihui Tan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China; School of Public Health, China Medical University, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Dongli Xie
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China; College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou 404100, China
| | - Hongyan Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China.
| | - Yao Dang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Mingdeng Xiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
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20
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Hua X, Wang D. Disruption of dopamine metabolism by exposure to 6-PPD quinone in Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 337:122649. [PMID: 37777057 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful model for examining metabolic processes and related mechanisms. We here examined the effect of exposure to N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone (6-PPDQ) on dopamine metabolism and underling molecular basis in nematodes. The dopamine content was reduced by 6-PPDQ (1 and 10 μg/L). Meanwhile, dopamine related behaviors (basal slowing response and area restricted searching) were changed by 6-PPDQ (1 and 10 μg/L). Exposure to 6-PPDQ (1 and 10 μg/L) decreased expressions of genes (cat-2 and bas-1) encoding enzymes governing dopamine synthesis and cat-1 encoding dopamine transporter. Development of dopaminergic neurons was also affected by 10 μg/L 6-PPDQ as reflected by decrease in fluorescence intensity, neuronal loss, and defect in dendrite development. Exposure to 6-PPDQ (1 and 10 μg/L) altered expressions of ast-1 and rcat-1 encoding upregulators of cat-2 and bas-1. The dopamine content and expressions of cat-2 and bas-1 were inhibited by RNAi of ast-1 and increased by RNAi of rcat-1 in 6-PPDQ exposed nematodes. Using endpoints of locomotion behavior and brood size, in 6-PPDQ exposed nematodes, the susceptibility to toxicity was caused by RNAi of ast-1, cat-2, bas-1, and cat-1, and the resistance to toxicity was induced by RNAi of rcat-1. Therefore, 6-PPDQ exposure disrupted dopamine metabolism and the altered molecular basis for dopamine metabolism was associated with 6-PPDQ toxicity induction. Moreover, the defects in dopamine related behaviors and toxicity on locomotion and reproduction could be rescued by treatment with 0.1 mM dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Hua
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
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21
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Pang Y, Li M, Li F, Lei J, Zhang T. Preliminary study on the E-liquid and aerosol on the neurobehavior of C. elegans. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 179:108180. [PMID: 37690220 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
E-cigarettes, also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), are mainly used among adolescents and young adults. Similar to traditional cigarettes, different concentrations of nicotine are also added to E-cigarette's liquid (E-liquid), but due to the supplementation of chemicals such as propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG) and flavors, it is difficult to determine the risk after using E-cigarettes. And given to the specificity of the aerosol particle composition and atomization process of E-cigarettes, it is necessary to assess the neurotoxic effects of long-term E-cigarettes use. In this study, two commercial nicotine-containing (5%) and nicotine-free E-liquids were diluted to investigate the neurobehavioral changes and addictive tendencies of developing C. elegans after sub-chronic exposure to E-liquid. The results showed that sub-chronic exposure of E-liquid could lead to impaired growth and development of nematodes, abnormal general neuromotor behavior and advanced learning and memory behavior, and nicotine-containing E-liquid could also lead to increased addiction tendency of nematodes. Although the damage effect of nicotine free E-liquid is smaller than that of the nicotine-containing group, its toxic effect cannot be ignored. Further analysis of the neurotoxicity mechanism found that redox imbalance-mediated mitochondrial stress and aging may be important causes of E-liquid-induced biological damage. The biosafety of e-cigarette aerosols was also included in the assessment. The study found that the heated atomization process did not alter the E-liquid components, and E-cigarette aerosols still have the effect of interfering with the growth and development of nematodes and neurobehavior, and its addictive nature is also of concern. This study can provide new ideas for future studies on the neurotoxic effects and safety assessment of the E-cigarettes, and provide theoretical reference for the study on the injury mechanism of E-cigarettes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Pang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Menghan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Fuxian Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jialin Lei
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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22
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Ding P, Xiang C, Li X, Chen H, Shi X, Li X, Huang C, Yu Y, Qi J, Li AJ, Zhang L, Hu G. Photoaged microplastics induce neurotoxicity via oxidative stress and abnormal neurotransmission in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 881:163480. [PMID: 37068667 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants and cause neurotoxicity in various organisms. However, previous studies that analyzed the effects of MPs mainly focused on virgin polystyrene (V-PS) as representative models of MPs, and the mechanism underlying the neurotoxicity of photoaged polystyrene (P-PS) remains largely unknown. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1-100 μg/L) of V-PS and P-PS(10 μm). The results indicated that UV radiation accelerated the aging process and changed physical and chemical properties of PS. Whereas exposure to both V-PS and P-PS at low concentrations (100 μg/L) significantly reduced the locomotor behavior of zebrafish larvae, P-PS caused more severe neurotoxicity compared to V-PS. The activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GST) and MDA content were significantly altered in zebrafish exposed to 10-100 μg/L of P-PS. Similarly, exposure to P-PS significantly increased neurotransmitter (5-HT, GABA, DA, and ACh) levels and activity of AChE, ChAT, and ChE. Star plots based on integrated biomarker response (IBR) values showed more incline toward neurotransmitter biomarkers in response to increasing P-PS concentration, and the behavioral parameters negatively correlated with the neurotransmitter biomarkers. Further investigations revealed that the expression of neurotransmission- (e.g., ache, drd3, 5th2c, and gat1) and oxidative stress- (e.g., cat1, sod1, gpx1a, and gstrl) related genes was significantly affected by PS in larval zebrafish. Thus, this study provides new insights on the potential risks of MPs into the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Ding
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China; College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Chongdan Xiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xintong Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Xiaoxia Shi
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xin Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Chushan Huang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Jianying Qi
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Adela Jing Li
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Guocheng Hu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
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23
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Shaoyong W, Jin H, Jiang X, Xu B, Liu Y, Wang Y, Jin M. Benzo [a] pyrene-loaded aged polystyrene microplastics promote colonic barrier injury via oxidative stress-mediated notch signalling. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 457:131820. [PMID: 37320903 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The adsorption of toxic substances on polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) can modify their biological toxicity and exacerbate the threat to human health. The effects of benzo [a] pyrene (B (a) P)-loaded aged PSMPs on colonic barrier integrity remains unclear. Here, we showed that binding environmentally relevant concentrations of B (a) P alteredl̥ the physicochemical features and markedly enhanced the toxicity of PSMPs. Compared to pristine PSMP, PSMP@B (a) P promoted colonic barrier degradation, body weight loss, colon length shortening, oxidative stress (OS), autophagy, inflammation, and bacterial translocation. Microplastic (MP) exposure induced injury to the colon barrier, including tight junction (TJ) and mucosal barriers, via overactivation of the Notch signalling pathway under increased OS in mice and intestinal organoids. Notably, PSMP@B (a) P exposure exacerbated damage to TJ and the mucosal barrier via the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could be related to the release of B (a) P from PSMP@B (a) P induced by the acidic environment of autophagosomes, which in turn exert synergistic toxic effects with PSMPs. Our study elucidates some of the potential molecular mechanisms by which B (a) P enhances PSMP-related intestinal toxicity, which provides a potential therapeutic approach for diseases caused by PSMP@B (a)P and PSMP pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weike Shaoyong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Hongli Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Xiao Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Bocheng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Yalin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Yizhen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Mingliang Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China.
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24
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Hua X, Cao C, Zhang L, Wang D. Activation of FGF signal in germline mediates transgenerational toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles at predicted environmental concentrations in Caenorhabditis elegans. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 451:131174. [PMID: 36913746 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics in the environment could cause the ecological and health risks. Recently, the transgenerational toxicity of nanoplastic has been observed in different animal models. In this study, using Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model, we aimed to examine the role of alteration in germline fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signal in mediating the transgenerational toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticle (PS-NP). Exposure to 1-100 μg/L PS-NP (20 nm) induced transgenerational increase in expressions of germline FGF ligand/EGL-17 and LRP-1 governing FGF secretion. Germline RNAi of egl-17 and lrp-1 resulted in resistance to transgenerational PS-NP toxicity, indicating the requirement of FGF ligand activation and secretion in formation of transgenerational PS-NP toxicity. Germline overexpression of EGL-17 increased expression of FGF receptor/EGL-15 in the offspring, and RNAi of egl-15 at F1 generation (F1-G) inhibited transgenerational toxicity of PS-NP exposed animals overexpressing germline EGL-17. EGL-15 functions in both the intestine and the neurons to control transgenerational PS-NP toxicity. Intestinal EGL-15 acted upstream of DAF-16 and BAR-1, and neuronal EGL-15 functioned upstream of MPK-1 to control PS-NP toxicity. Our results suggested the important role of activation in germline FGF signal in mediating the induction of transgenerational toxicity in organisms exposed to nanoplastics in the range of μg/L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Hua
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Chang Cao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Le Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; Shenzhen Ruipuxun Academy for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, Shenzhen 518122, China.
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25
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Afreen V, Hashmi K, Nasir R, Saleem A, Khan MI, Akhtar MF. Adverse health effects and mechanisms of microplastics on female reproductive system: a descriptive review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-27930-1. [PMID: 37247153 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27930-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs), with a diameter of less than 5 mm, include polymers such as polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene. The MPs occur in different morphologies including fragments, beads, fibers, and films that are swallowed by fresh water and land-based animals and enter their food chain, where they produce hazardous effects such as uterine toxicity, infertility, and neurotoxicity. The aim of this review is to explore the effects of polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) on the female reproductive system and understand the mechanisms by which they produce reproductive toxicity. Several studies suggested that the exposure to PS-MPs increased the probability of larger ovaries with fewer follicles, decreased the number of embryos produced, and decreased the number of pregnancies in female mice. It also changed sex hormone levels and caused oxidative stress, which could have an impact on fertility and reproduction. Exposure to PS-MPs caused the death of granulosa cells through apoptosis and pyroptosis via activation of the NLRP3/caspase pathway and disruption of the Wnt-signaling pathway. Activation of TL4/NOX2 caused the uterine fibrosis resulting in endometrium thinning. The PS-MPs had a negative impact on ovarian capacity, oocyte maturation, and oocyte quality. Furthermore, the PS-MPs disrupted the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis in marine animals, resulting in a decrease in hatching rate and offspring body size, causing trans-generational effects. It also reduced fecundity and produced germ-line apoptosis. The main focus of this review was to explore the different mechanisms and pathways through which PS-MPs adversely impact the female reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Afreen
- Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Kanza Hashmi
- Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Rimsha Nasir
- Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ammara Saleem
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran Khan
- Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Furqan Akhtar
- Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore, Pakistan.
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26
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Xu M, Hu S, Cui Z, Liu C, Xiao Y, Liu R, Zong W. Characterizing the binding interactions between virgin/aged microplastics and catalase in vitro. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 323:138199. [PMID: 36813000 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) undergo physical, chemical, and biological aging in the environment, leading to changes in their physicochemical properties, affecting migration characteristics and toxicity. Oxidative stress effects induced by MPs in vivo have been extensively studied, but the toxicity difference between virgin and aged MPs and the interactions between antioxidant enzymes and MPs in vitro have not been reported yet. This study investigated the structural and functional changes of catalase (CAT) induced by virgin and aged PVC-MPs. It was shown that light irradiation aged the PVC-MPs, and the aging mechanism was photooxidation, resulting in a rough surface and appearing holes and pits. Because of the changes in physicochemical properties, aged MPs had more binding sites than virgin MPs. Fluorescence and synchronous fluorescence spectra results suggested that MPs quenched the endogenous fluorescence of CAT and interacted with tryptophane and tyrosine residues. The virgin MPs had no significant effect on the skeleton of CAT, while the skeleton and the polypeptide chains of CAT became loosened and unfolded after binding with the aged MPs. Moreover, the interactions of CAT with virgin/aged MPs increased the α-helix and decreased the β-sheet contents, destroyed the solvent shell, and resulted in a dispersion of CAT. Due to the large size, MPs cannot enter the interior of CAT and have no effects on the heme groups and activity of CAT. The interaction mechanism between MPs and CAT may be that MPs adsorb CAT to form the protein corona, and aged MPs had more binding sites. This study is the first comprehensive investigation of the effect of aging on the interaction between MPs and biomacromolecules and highlights the potential negative effects of MPs on antioxidant enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengchen Xu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266033, PR China.
| | - Shuncheng Hu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266033, PR China
| | - Zhaohao Cui
- Qingdao Ecological Environment Monitoring Center, Qingdao, 266003, PR China
| | - Changqing Liu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266033, PR China
| | - Yihua Xiao
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266033, PR China
| | - Rutao Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, China-America CRC for Environment & Health, Shandong Province, 72# Jimo Binhai Road, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, PR China
| | - Wansong Zong
- College of Population, Resources and Environment, Shandong Normal University, 88# East Wenhua Road, Jinan, 250014, PR China
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27
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Xiang C, Chen H, Liu X, Dang Y, Li X, Yu Y, Li B, Li X, Sun Y, Ding P, Hu G. UV-aged microplastics induces neurotoxicity by affecting the neurotransmission in larval zebrafish. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 324:138252. [PMID: 36849020 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are nearly ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems and may affect aquatic organisms. In this study, virgin and aged polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) of size 1 μm were selected to analyze their adverse effects on larvae zebrafish. Exposure to PS-MPs significantly reduced the average swimming speed of zebrafish, and the behavioral effects caused by aged PS-MPs on zebrafish were more pronounced. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that 10-100 μg/L of PS-MPs accumulated in tissues of zebrafish. As an endpoint of neurotransmitter concentration, exposure to aged PS-MPs at doses ranging from 0.1 to 100 μg/L significantly increased the dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and acetylcholine (ACh) levels in zebrafish. Similarly, exposure to aged PS-MPs significantly altered the expression of genes related to these neurotransmitters (e.g., dat, 5ht1aa, and gabral genes). According to Pearson correlation analyses, neurotransmissions was significantly correlated with neurotoxic effects of aged PS-MPs. Thus, aged PS-MPs cause neurotoxicity in zebrafish through their effects on DA, 5-HT, GABA, and ACh neurotransmissions. The results highlight the importance of the neurotoxicity of aged PS-MPs in zebrafish, which has important implications for the risk assessment of aged MPs and the conservation of aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongdan Xiang
- School of Public Health, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- School of Public Health, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning, China
| | - Yao Dang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xin Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Bei Li
- School of Public Health, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xintong Li
- School of Public Health, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Yanan Sun
- School of Public Health, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Ping Ding
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Guocheng Hu
- School of Public Health, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China.
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Chen H, Jiang Y, Gu Y, Ding P, Wang C, Pan R, Shi C, Zeng L, Chen X, Li H. The generation of environmentally persistent free radicals on photoaged microbeads from cosmetics enhances the toxicity via oxidative stress. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 174:107875. [PMID: 36933305 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microbeads used in personal care products have been one of the important sources of microplastics (MPs), and little has been reported on their environmental behaviors and health risks. The characteristics of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) and the toxicity assessment of MPs (environmentally relevant concentrations) from cosmetics during photoaging remains largely unknown. In this study, the formation of EPFRs on polyethylene (PE) microbeads from facial scrubs under light irradiation and their toxicity were investigated using C. elegans as a model organism. The results suggested that light irradiation induced the generation of EPFRs, which accelerates the aging process and alters the physicochemical properties of PE microbeads. Acute exposure to PE (1 mg/L) at photoaged times of 45-60 d significantly decreased the physiological indicators (e.g., head thrashes, body bends, and brood size). The oxidative stress response and stress-related gene expression were also enhanced in nematodes. The addition of N-acetyl-l-cysteine induced significant inhibition of toxicity and oxidative stress in nematodes exposed to 45-60 d of photoaged PE. The Pearson correlation results showed that the concentration of EPFRs was significantly correlated with physiological indicators, oxidative stress, and related-genes expression in nematodes. The data confirmed that the generation of EPFRs combined with heavy metals and organics contributed to toxicity induced by photoaged PE, and oxidative stress might be involved in regulating adverse effects in C. elegans. The study provides new insight into the potential risks of microbeads released into the environment during photoaging. The findings also highlight the necessity for considering the role of EPFRs formation in evaluating the impacts of microbeads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Chen
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yongqi Jiang
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yulun Gu
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Ping Ding
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Ruolin Pan
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Chongli Shi
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Lingjun Zeng
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Xiaoxia Chen
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Hui Li
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
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29
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Wan X, Zhao Y, Xu X, Li Z, Xie L, Wang G, Yang F. Microcystin bound on microplastics in eutrophic waters: A potential threat to zooplankton revealed by adsorption-desorption processes. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 321:121146. [PMID: 36706860 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The presence of microplastics (MPs) in eutrophic waters (both freshwaters and coastal waters) is increasingly reported globally, as has the occurrence of cyanotoxins, including microcystins (MCs). MPs have the potential to act as vectors for MCs in freshwater environments, but the transportation mechanisms and associated risks remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated how aging process and water conditions influenced the adsorption behavior of the microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR) onto polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Adsorption kinetics and isotherms showed that the MC-LR sorption capacity in descending order was aged PP > pristine PP > aged PE > pristine PE. The aging process increased the MC-LR sorption amount by 25.1% and 6.5% for PP and PE, respectively. The increase in sorption affinity of aged MPs may be attributed to the significant surface oxidation and the formation of the hydrogen bonding between MPs and MC-LR. Furthermore, MC-LR sorption can be largely influenced by the aqueous conditions. MC-LR preferred to be much adsorbed onto different MPs in brackish water than in freshwater owing to the cation bridging effect and complexation of high levels of cations. The usual alkalescent pH in eutrophic waters did not favor MC-LR sorption to MPs. Finally, based on the desorption results, assuming a worst-case scenario, MC-LR bound on MPs may have a high risk to daphnids. The findings obtained in this study have improved our knowledge in the interaction of MPs with hydrophilic cyanotoxins in aqueous ecosystems, as well as the risks associated with their coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wan
- School of Geography, School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yanyan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xiaoguang Xu
- School of Geography, School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zongrui Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Liqiang Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Guoxiang Wang
- School of Geography, School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Fei Yang
- School of Geography, School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Nanjing, 210042, China.
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30
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Yu Y, Xie D, Yang Y, Tan S, Li H, Dang Y, Xiang M, Chen H. Carboxyl-modified polystyrene microplastics induces neurotoxicity by affecting dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and GABA neurotransmission in Caenorhabditis elegans. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 445:130543. [PMID: 36493651 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in various environmental media and have potential toxicity. However, the neurotoxicity of carboxyl-modified polystyrene microplastics (PS-COOH) and their mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans was used as a model to examine the neurotoxicity of polystyrene microplastic (PS) and PS-COOH concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 100 μg/L. Locomotion behavior, neuron development, neurotransmitter level, and neurotransmitter-related gene expression were selected as assessment endpoints. Exposure to low concentrations (1 μg/L) of PS-COOH caused more severe neurotoxicity than exposure to pristine PS. In transgenic nematodes, exposure to PS-COOH at 10-100 μg/L significantly increased the fluorescence intensity of dopaminergic, glutamatergic, serotonergic, and aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons compared to that of the control. Further studies showed that exposure to 100 μg/L PS-COOH can significantly affect the levels of glutamate, serotonin, dopamine, and GABA in nematodes. Likewise, in the present study, the expression of genes involved in neurotransmission was altered in worms. These results suggest that PS-COOH exerts neurotoxicity by affecting neurotransmission of dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and GABA. This study provides new insights into the underlying mechanisms and potential risks associated with PS-COOH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Dongli Xie
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China; College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou 404100, China
| | - Yue Yang
- Xi 'an Jiaotong University Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi 'an 710004, China
| | - Shihui Tan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China; School of Public Health, China Medical University, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Hongyan Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Yao Dang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Mingdeng Xiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- Institute for Environmental pollution and health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
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31
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Ju J, Wu X, Mao W, Zhang C, Ge W, Wang Y, Ma S, Zhu Y. The growth toxicity and neurotoxicity mechanism of waterborne TBOEP to nematodes: Insights from transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 256:106401. [PMID: 36736151 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tris(2-butoxy) ethyl phosphate (TBOEP) is a typical organophosphorus flame retardant (OPFR), which has been detected in natural water bodies and drinking water and has reached a certain concentration. As a new type of organic pollutant, the environmental health risk of TBOEP needs to be assessed urgently. Here, Caenorhabditis elegans were exposed to 0, 50, 500, and 5000 ng/L TBOEP in water for 72 h. The results showed that TBOEP exposure caused concentration-dependent inhibition to the growth of nematodes, while exposure to 5000 ng/L TBOEP significantly inhibited the locomotor behavior of nematodes. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis showed that the disturbances in neurotransmitter transmission and amino acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism were the reason for the neurotoxicity and growth toxicity of TBOEP to nematodes. These results provide basic data and a theoretical basis for evaluating the environmental health risks of organophosphorus flame retardants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjuan Ju
- School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Xinyue Wu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Weiya Mao
- School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Chenran Zhang
- School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Wenjie Ge
- School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Yiran Wang
- School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Siyang Ma
- School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Ya Zhu
- School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
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32
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Wang Y, Gai T, Zhang L, Chen L, Wang S, Ye T, Zhang W. Neurotoxicity of bisphenol A exposure on Caenorhabditis elegans induced by disturbance of neurotransmitter and oxidative damage. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 252:114617. [PMID: 36758510 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is putatively regarded as an environmental neurotoxicant found in everyday plastic products and materials, however, the possible neurobehavioral adverse consequences and molecular mechanisms in animals have not been clearly characterized. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become a promising animal model for neurotoxicological researches. To investigate the dose-effect relationships of BPA-induced neurotoxicity effects, the locomotion behavior and developmental parameters of the nematode were determined after BPA exposure. The present data demonstrated that BPA caused neurobehavioral toxicities, including head thrashes and body bends inhibition. In addition, when C. elegans was exposed to BPA at a concentration higher than 2 μM, growth and survival rate were decreased. The serotonergic, dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons were damaged by BPA. Furthermore, lower levels of mRNA expression related to dopamine, serotonin and GABA were detected in the worms exposed to 50 μM BPA. Increased SOD-3 expression might be adaptive response to BPA exposure. Moreover, oxidative damage triggered by BPA was manifested by changes in GST-4 expression, accompany with abnormity of ATP synthesis, but not nuclear localization of DAF-16/FOXO. Finally, we showed that epigallocatechin-3-gallate partially rescued BPA-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and neurobehavioral toxicity. Altogether, the neurobehavioral and developmental toxicity of BPA may be induced by neurotransmission abnormity and oxidative damage. The present data imply that oxidative stress is linked to neuronal damage and neurobehavioral harm resulting from developmental BPA exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tingting Gai
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Lianfeng Zhang
- School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Liangwen Chen
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Shunchang Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Ye
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiru Zhang
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, Anhui, People's Republic of China
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33
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Xiong F, Liu J, Xu K, Huang J, Wang D, Li F, Wang S, Zhang J, Pu Y, Sun R. Microplastics induce neurotoxicity in aquatic animals at environmentally realistic concentrations: A meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 318:120939. [PMID: 36581239 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) draw international attention owing to their widespread distribution in water ecosystems, but whether MPs cause neurotoxic effects in aquatic animals at environmentally realistic concentrations is still controversial. This meta-analysis recompiled 35 studies to determine whether MPs could change the levels of brain (in vivo) neurotransmitters in aquatic animals at environmentally realistic concentrations (≤1 mg/L, median = 0.100 mg/L). Then, a group comparison was conducted to compare the effects of different factors on the effect size and to explore the significant factors affecting the neurotoxicity of MPs. The results demonstrated that MP exposure could considerably decrease the levels of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) in the brain of aquatic animals by 16.2%. However, the effects of MPs on cholinesterase (CHE), acetylcholine (ACh), dopamine (DA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were not statistically significant due to the small number of studies and samples. The neurotoxicity of MPs was closely linked with particle size and exposure time but independent of animal species, MP compositions, MP morphology and MP concentrations. Further literatures review indicated that MP-induced neurotoxicity and behavioral changes are related with multiple biological processes, including nerve damage, oxidative stress, intestinal flora disturbance and metabolic disorder. Furthermore, some factors influencing MP neurotoxicity in the real environment (e.g. the aging of MPs, the release of MP additives, and the co-exposure of MPs and pollutants) were discussed. Overall, this study preliminarily explored whether MPs induced changes in neurotoxicity-related indicators in aquatic animals through meta-analysis and provided scientific evidence for evaluating the health risks and neurotoxicity of MPs at the environmental level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinyan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kai Xu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiawei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Daqin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fuxian Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shiyuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuepu Pu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rongli Sun
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
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34
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Liu F, Cao X, Tian F, Jiang J, Lin K, Cheng J, Hu X. Continuous and discontinuous multi-generational disturbances of tetrabromobisphenol A on longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 251:114522. [PMID: 36628875 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is one of the most prevalently used brominated flame retardants. Due to its persistence, it is predominantly found in environmental matrices and has the potential to generate multi-generational toxicity. However, knowledge of its adaptive response or long-term residual effect in multi-generations, and molecular mechanisms remain understudied. In the current study, the model animal nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was exposed to TBBPA at environmentally realistic concentrations (0.1-1000 μg L-1) for four consecutive generations (G0 to G3). Degenerative age-related multiple endpoints including lifespan, locomotion behaviors, growth, reproduction, oxidative stress-related biochemical responses, cell apoptosis, and stress related gene expressions were assessed in the continuous exposure generations (G0 and G3) and the discontinuously exposed generations (T3 and T'3). The results showed that changes in degenerative age-related response monitored four generations varied in direction and magnitude depending on the TBBPA concentrations, and the response intensify ranked as G0 > T'3/G3 > T3. TBBPA at 1 μg L-1 dosage was detected as the lowest observed effect concentration in multi-biomarkers. The underlying mechanism of aging phenotypes was that reactive oxygen species accumulation led to cell apoptosis regulated by gene ape-1, and confirmed catalase enzyme and superoxide dismutase activity played a crucial role in the detoxification process of TBBPA at the molecular level. This study provided insights into the underlying mechanism of TBBPA-interfered longevity and its environmental multi-generational potential risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuwen Liu
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xue Cao
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
| | - Fuxiang Tian
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
| | - Jingxian Jiang
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
| | - Kuangfei Lin
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Junjie Cheng
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
| | - Xiaojun Hu
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China.
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35
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Aliakbarzadeh F, Rafiee M, Khodagholi F, Khorramizadeh MR, Manouchehri H, Eslami A, Sayehmiri F, Mohseni-Bandpei A. Adverse effects of polystyrene nanoplastic and its binary mixtures with nonylphenol on zebrafish nervous system: From oxidative stress to impaired neurotransmitter system. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 317:120587. [PMID: 36336178 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Micro(nano)plastics generally co-exist with other chemicals in the environment, resulting in inevitable interaction and combined toxic effects on biota. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the interaction of nanoplastics (NPs) with other co-occurring insults. Hereby, we investigated single and combined effects of chronic exposure (45 days) to polystyrene nanoplastic particulates (PS-NPs) and nonylphenol (4-NP) on zebrafish nervous system. Multiple biomarkers concerning with oxidative-stress [catalase (CAT) activity and reduced glutathione (GSH) level], cholinergic system [Acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity], glutamatergic system [glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activities], energy metabolism [a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (a-KGDH) activity], and histological alterations were assessed. Both single and binary exposure to PS-NPs and 4-NP induced oxidative stress through reducing CAT activity and GSH level, in which a more sever effect was noticed in combined exposure. The AchE activity was significantly inhibited only in single treatment groups demonstrating antagonistic interaction between PS-NPs and 4-NP. Effects on GS activity was also alleviated in binary exposure as compared with single exposure to each contaminant. In addition, an increase in GDH activity was noticed in PS-NPs at 10 and 100 μg/L, and simultaneous presence of PS-NPs and 4-NP with a greater response were observed in combined treatments. PS-NPs and 4-NP either in separate or binary mixtures disrupted energy metabolism by deficiency of α-KGDH activity; however, co-exposure to PS-NPs and 4-NP induced more intense adverse impacts on this parameter. Furthermore, histological analysis revealed that 4-NP and PS-NPs, alone or in combination, reduced neural cells. These findings provide new insight into the neurotoxic effects of binary exposure to PS-NPs and 4-NP at environmentally relevant concentrations. Overall, our findings raise concerns about the presence and toxicity of nano-scale plastic particulates and highlight the importance of investigating the interaction of Micro(nano)plastics with other environmental irritants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faezeh Aliakbarzadeh
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Air Quality and Climate Change Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rafiee
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Air Quality and Climate Change Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Khodagholi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Khorramizadeh
- Biosensor Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, and Zebra Fish Core Facility (ZFIN ID: ZDB-LAB-190117-2), Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Manouchehri
- Department of Aquaculture Science, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran
| | - Akbar Eslami
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Environmental and Occupational Hazards Control Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Sayehmiri
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Anoushiravan Mohseni-Bandpei
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Air Quality and Climate Change Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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36
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Adverse effects of pristine and aged polystyrene microplastics in mice and their Nrf2-mediated defense mechanisms with tissue specificity. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:39894-39906. [PMID: 36602732 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24918-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Health hazards associated with microplastics (MPs) remain largely unknown, and the effects of aged MPs, one of their persistent forms, are poorly characterized. Male ICR mice were intratracheally instilled with 0.01 and 1 mg/day pristine and ultraviolet (UV)-aged polystyrene microplastics (PS and APS) with an average diameter of 4 - 5 μm daily for 1 week. UV irradiation caused the PS to have a rough surface, become fragmented, and increase their carbonyl groups. Both PS and APS caused structural damage to the mouse gut, liver, spleen, and testis. Inflammatory infiltration in liver, swollen and congested gut, and loose spleen globules, as well as the loose interstitium of the seminiferous tubules in testis were found in 1 mg/day APS group. Increases in serum alanine aminotransferase and immunoglobulin A levels in 1 mg/day APS group (p < 0.05) demonstrated that APS exposure could induce greater liver and spleen functional damage than PS. Meanwhile, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels in liver were enhanced in 1 mg/day APS group (p < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase and glutathione contents in 0.01 and 1 mg/day APS groups significantly decreased (p < 0.05), which suggesting that PS and APS could interfere with the antioxidant capacity in mice. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels in the PS and APS groups showed significant increases in the liver and testis (p < 0.05), and a significant decrease in the spleen (p < 0.05), which were analyzed to get a first survey for Nrf2/HO-1-mediated tissue-specific defense mechanisms. In conclusion, acute exposure to PS and APS induced potential metabolic disorders, and APS could produce more serious immune damage and reproductive toxicity. These findings provide new insights in health risk assessment of aged MPs.
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Li M, Hou Z, Meng R, Hao S, Wang B. Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical review. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 170:107644. [PMID: 36413926 PMCID: PMC9671534 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
With the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), disposable face masks (DFMs) have caused negative environmental impacts. DFMs will release microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) during environmental degradation. However, few studies reveal the release process of MPs/NPs from masks in the natural environment. This review presents the current knowledge on the abiotic and biotic degradation of DFMs. Though MPs and NPs have raised serious concerns about their potentially detrimental effects on human health, little attention was paid to their impacts on human health from DFM-derived MPs and NPs. The potential toxicity of mask-derived MPs/NPs, such as gastrointestinal toxicity, pneumotoxicity, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, reproductive and transgenerational toxicity, and the underlying mechanism will be discussed in the present study. MPs/NPs serve as carriers of toxic chemicals and pathogens, leading to their bioaccumulation and adverse effects of biomagnification by food chains. Given human experiments are facing ethical issues and animal studies cannot completely reveal human characteristics, advanced human organoids will provide promising models for MP/NP risk assessment. Moreover, in-depth investigations are required to identify the release of MPs/NPs from discarded face masks and characterize their transportation through the food chains. More importantly, innovative approaches and eco-friendly strategies are urgently demanded to reduce DFM-derived MP/NP pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Li
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China; Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Zongkun Hou
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Run Meng
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Shilei Hao
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China.
| | - Bochu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China.
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Zhang P, Lu G, Sun Y, Zhang J, Liu J, Yan Z. Aged microplastics change the toxicological mechanism of roxithromycin on Carassius auratus: Size-dependent interaction and potential long-term effects. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 169:107540. [PMID: 36166955 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Size effects of microplastics have received extensive attention for their influence on other pollutants and harm to organisms. In this study, we investigated the uptake, elimination, tissue distribution and potential toxicity mechanism of roxithromycin (ROX) in the presence of 0.5, 5 and 50 μm of aged microplastics (AMPs) in Carassius auratus. The results showed that AMPs promoted the ROX bioaccumulation of various tissues in a size-dependent manner. AMPs and ROX significantly induced superoxide dismutase and catalase activities of liver and gut, and inhibited acetylcholinesterase activities of brain. The coexistence of smaller AMPs exacerbated pathological abnormalities in liver, gill and brain induced by ROX, while larger AMPs caused more intestinal damage. Moreover, high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that the abundance of Proteobacteria in 0.5 μm AMPs and ROX joint treatments and Firmicutes and Bacteroidota in 50 μm AMPs and ROX joint treatments were significantly raised (p < 0.05). Metabolomics revealed that AMPs and ROX had a size-dependent long-term effect on gut microbial metabolites, which was mainly related to galactose metabolism, amino acid metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis pathways after a 7-day elimination, respectively. These results provide important insights into the relationship between the size effect of AMPs and interaction mechanism of AMPs and coexisting pollutants on aquatic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Guanghua Lu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China.
| | - Yu Sun
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Jianchao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Zhenhua Yan
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
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Yang X, Jiang J, Wang Q, Duan J, Chen N, Wu D, Xia Y. Gender difference in hepatic AMPK pathway activated lipid metabolism induced by aged polystyrene microplastics exposure. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 245:114105. [PMID: 36155338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) pollution becomes an increasing concern and researchers keep exploring the health effects caused by MPs exposure. The ageing process in the environment significantly alters the physicochemical characteristics of MPs and subsequently affects their toxicities. The health effects of aged MPs exposure and the mechanism underlying are worthy of exploration. Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) (with size less than 50 µm) were obtained by grinding and screening polystyrene materials. PS-MPs continued to be aged by ozone treatment (0.4 mg/min, 9 h). Both male and female C57BL/6 mice were orally exposed to 0 or 2 mg/kg/d aged PS-MPs for 28 days. Results showed that PS-MPs were found in liver, ovary and spleen of females and liver, testis and spleen of males in the aged PS-MPs group. Exposure to aged PS-MPs significantly decreased abdominal fat/body coefficient, the adipocyte size and the serum LDL-C level in females. Compared to the control, serum estradiol (E2) level, the mRNA expression levels of genes regulating E2 production (17β-hsd, 3β-hsd and Star) in ovary and the protein expression levels of E2 receptors (ERα, ERβ), AMPKα and p-AMPKα1 in liver increased significantly, and the mRNA expression levels of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) downstream genes (Srebp-1c, Fas and Scd1) in liver decreased significantly in the female aged PS-MPs group. Liver metabolomic profiling showed that differential metabolites between female aged PS-MPs group and female control group were enriched in biotin metabolism and the level of biotin increased significantly in the female aged PS-MPs group. However, no significant changes were detected in males. These results indicated that aged PS-MPs exposure increased ovarian E2 production and activated the AMPK pathway in the liver which might inhibit liver lipid synthesis only in females. Our findings provide new insights into the potential sex-specific health effects of environmental MPs pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Jin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Qing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Jiawei Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Na Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Di Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.
| | - Yankai Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
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Long HQ, Gao J, He SQ, Han JF, Tu Y, Chen N. The role of crm-1 in ionizing radiation-induced nervous system dysfunction in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neural Regen Res 2022; 18:1386-1392. [PMID: 36453427 PMCID: PMC9838165 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.357908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation can cause changes in nervous system function. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was irradiated with 75 Gy of 60Co whole-body γ radiation. Behavioral indicators (head thrashes, touch avoidance, and foraging), and the development of dopaminergic neurons related to behavioral function, were evaluated to assess the effects of ionizing radiation on nervous system function in C. elegans. Various behaviors were impaired after whole-body irradiation and degeneration of dopamine neurons was observed. This suggests that 75 Gy of γ radiation is sufficient to induce nervous system dysfunction. The genes nhr-76 and crm-1, which are reported to be related to nervous system function in human and mouse, were screened by transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis after irradiation or sham irradiation. The expression levels of these two genes were increased after radiation. Next, RNAi technology was used to inhibit the expression of crm-1, a gene whose homologs are associated with motor neuron development in other species. Downregulation of crm-1 expression effectively alleviated the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation on head thrashes and touch avoidance. It was also found that the expression level of crm-1 was regulated by the nuclear receptor gene nhr-76. The results of this study suggest that knocking down the expression level of nhr-76 can reduce the expression level of crm-1, while down-regulating the expression level of crm-1 can alleviate behavioral disorders induced by ionizing radiation. Therefore, inhibition of crm-1 may be of interest as a potential therapeutic target for ionizing radiation-induced neurological dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Qiang Long
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jin Gao
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shu-Qing He
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jian-Fang Han
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yu Tu
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,Correspondence to: Yu Tu, ; Na Chen, .
| | - Na Chen
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,Correspondence to: Yu Tu, ; Na Chen, .
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Li T, Lu M, Xu B, Chen H, Li J, Zhu Z, Yu M, Zheng J, Peng P, Wu S. Multiple perspectives reveal the gut toxicity of polystyrene microplastics on Eisenia fetida: Insights into community signatures of gut bacteria and their translocation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156352. [PMID: 35654182 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The gut is the primary pathway by which soil animals are exposed to microplastics (MPs). However, the gut toxicity of MPs has not been elucidated in earthworms. Herein, we aimed to study the gut toxicity (e.g., gut barrier dysfunction, gut bacterial translocation, and pathogen invasion) of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on Eisenia fetida and its relationship with gut bacteria. We found that PS-MPs exposure caused gut barrier damage to Eisenia fetida. This damage included apparent injury of gut epithelial cells and significantly lower transcription levels of genes coding for gut tight junction (TJ)-related proteins. We then observed significantly increased levels of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and gut bacterial load, indicating the occurrence of gut bacterial translocation and related barrier damage. Subsequently, antibacterial immune responses were activated and accompanied by a failure of the antioxidant defense system, indicating that pathogen invasion might occur. Gut barrier damage could weaken host selective pressures (deterministic process) on gut bacteria, such as particular pathogens. Indeed, members of Proteobacteria, e.g., Aeromonas and Escherichia/Shigella, regarded as potential opportunistic pathogens, were remarkable signatures of groups exposed to PS-MPs. These potential opportunistic gut bacteria were pivotal contributors to gut TJ damage and gut bacterial translocation resulting from PS-MPs exposure. In addition, the gut bacterial networks of PS-MPs exposure groups were more uncomplicated than those of the control group, but more negative interactions were easy to observe. In conclusion, our work sheds light on the molecular mechanism of earthworm gut toxicity caused by PS-MPs exposure and provides a prospective risk assessment of MPs in soil ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongtong Li
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Mengtian Lu
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Baohua Xu
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Jun Li
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Natural Product and Functional Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
| | - Zhenzhen Zhu
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Mengwei Yu
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Jiaoyang Zheng
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Peilong Peng
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Shijin Wu
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
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Völkl M, Jérôme V, Weig A, Jasinski J, Meides N, Strohriegl P, Scheibel T, Freitag R. Pristine and artificially-aged polystyrene microplastic particles differ in regard to cellular response. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 435:128955. [PMID: 35472543 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic particles (MP), arising from the gradual decomposition of plastics in the environment, have been identified as a global problem. Most investigations of MP cytotoxicity use pristine spherical particles available from commercial sources when evaluating their impact on mammalian cells, while only limited data is available for the more relevant "weathered microplastic". In this study, we exposed murine macrophages to polystyrene MP either after up to 130 days of accelerated ageing or in pristine condition. Weathered and pristine MP were physicochemically characterized, and their cytotoxicity was investigated using biological assays, transcriptome analysis, and metabolic pathways prediction. Whereas the response to pristine MP is mainly dominated by a TNF-α release, sharp-edged weathered MP induce broader adverse cellular reactions. This study stresses the importance of including more realistic test particles (e.g., weathered particles) in combination with a broad range of biological assays when evaluating the potential risk of microplastic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Völkl
- Process Biotechnology, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Valérie Jérôme
- Process Biotechnology, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Alfons Weig
- Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Julia Jasinski
- Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Nora Meides
- Macromolecular Chemistry I, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Peter Strohriegl
- Macromolecular Chemistry I, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Ruth Freitag
- Process Biotechnology, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
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Santos D, Luzio A, Félix L, Bellas J, Monteiro SM. Oxidative stress, apoptosis and serotonergic system changes in zebrafish (Danio rerio) gills after long-term exposure to microplastics and copper. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2022; 258:109363. [PMID: 35525464 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fish gills are in direct contact with the surrounding pollutants, and thus, potentially more vulnerable to microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals. The present study aimed to evaluate the long-term exposure effects of MPs and copper (Cu) in the gills of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). To this end, zebrafish were exposed to MPs (2 mg/L), Cu (Cu25, 25 μg/L) and their mixture (Cu25 + MPs) for 30 days, and then oxidative stress, detoxification, antioxidant, metabolic and neurotoxicity enzymes/genes, as well serotonergic system and apoptosis genes, were evaluated in gills. In the mixture group, ROS levels were increased, while CAT and GPx activities were inhibited, indicating the induction of oxidative stress in zebrafish gills. This was followed by an increase of LPO levels and potential oxidative damage in zebrafish gills. The tryptophan hydroxylase 1a (tph1a) and caspase-3 (casp3) genes were significantly upregulated in Cu25 + MPs group, indicating a potential dysregulation of serotonin synthesis and apoptosis pathways, respectively. Overall, the present study contributes to improving the knowledge about the response of aquatic organisms to MPs and the potential ecological risk that these particles represent to the ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dércia Santos
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
| | - Ana Luzio
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Luís Félix
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Juan Bellas
- Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, IEO-CSIC, Subida a Radio Faro 50, 36390 Vigo, Spain
| | - Sandra M Monteiro
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Inov4Agro, Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-food Production, Portugal
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Zhang X, Ye Y, Sun J, Wang JS, Tang L, Xu Y, Ji J, Sun X. Abnormal neurotransmission of GABA and serotonin in Caenorhabditis elegans induced by Fumonisin B1. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 304:119141. [PMID: 35301029 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a neurodegenerative mycotoxin synthesized by Fusarium spp., but the potential neurobehavioral toxicity effects in organisms have not been characterized clearly. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has emerged as a promising model organism for neurotoxicological studies due to characteristics such as well-functioning nervous system and rich behavioral phenotypes. To investigate whether FB1 has neurobehavioral toxicity effects on C. elegans, the motor behavior, neuronal structure, neurotransmitter content, and gene expression related with neurotransmission of C. elegans were determined after exposed to 20-200 μg/mL FB1 for 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Results showed that FB1 caused behavioral defects, including body bends, head thrashes, crawling distance, mean speed, mean amplitude, mean wavelength, foraging behavior, and chemotaxis learning ability in a dose-, and time-dependent manner. In addition, when C. elegans was exposed to FB1 at a concentration of 200 μg/mL for 24 h and above 100 μg/mL for 48 h, the GABAergic and serotonergic neurons were damaged, but no effect on dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and cholinergic neurons. The relative content of GABA and serotonin decreased significantly. Furthermore, abnormal expression of mRNA levels associated with GABA and serotonin were found in nematodes treated with FB1, such as unc-30, unc-47, unc-49, exp-1, mod-5, cat-1, and tph-1. The neurobehavioral toxicity effect of FB1 may be mediated by abnormal neurotransmission of GABA and serotonin. This study provides useful information for understanding the neurotoxicity of FB1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, PR China
| | - Yongli Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, PR China
| | - Jiadi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, PR China
| | - Jia-Sheng Wang
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Lili Tang
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Yida Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, PR China
| | - Jian Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, PR China
| | - Xiulan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, PR China.
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Liu J, Yang H, Meng Q, Feng Q, Yan Z, Liu J, Liu Z, Zhou Z. Intergenerational and biological effects of roxithromycin and polystyrene microplastics to Daphnia magna. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2022; 248:106192. [PMID: 35617774 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2022.106192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The influence of microplastics (MPs) on transgenerational effects of pharmaceuticals are drawing growing attention, however, whether aged process will alter the carrier effects of MPs were unknown. In this study, the intergenerational toxicity of single and combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) and roxithromycin (ROX) were investigated at the environmentally related concentrations, using Daphina magna as test organism. In the presence of UV-aged PS-MPs, the survival of D. magna for maternal generation (F0) at ROX concentration of 0.1 and 10 µg/L were increased by 20% and 40%, respectively. Meanwhile, the inhibition effects of ROX on the number of offspring and intrinsic rate of natural increase were obviously moderated. All these reproductive toxicity of ROX and PS-MPs in the first offspring (F1) were further aggravated both for the single and combined exposure. And the adverse effects disappeared much easier for the single exposure compared to the co-exposure through subsequent recovery. The combined exposure resulted in the change of inhibition of ROX on the swimming velocity and acceleration of D. magna into induction, while the feeding behavior kept inhibited. The AChE activity was distinctly increased by 1.61-3.25 times for the single and combined treatments, and the induction level of UV-aged MPs was higher than that of original MPs. Oxidative stress of the single exposure of ROX and original PS-MPs was observed with obvious induction of T-AOC and SOD activity, while the significant increase of MDA content was observed for the co-exposure. Among all indicators, the biochemical biomarkers and time of first brood were attributed to a class among all indicators, indicating that the time of first brood might be the most sensitive reproductive toxicity index. These results illustrated that both maternal impacts and offspring quality need to be considered for assessment of interaction of emerging contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqiang Liu
- School of Environment Science and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China
| | - Haohan Yang
- School of Environment Science and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225127, China.
| | - Qingjun Meng
- School of Environment Science and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China
| | - Qiyan Feng
- School of Environment Science and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China
| | - Zhenhua Yan
- Key Laboratory for Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Jianchao Liu
- Key Laboratory for Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Zhigang Liu
- Ningbo Water Supply Co Ltd, Ningbo 315041, China
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Santos D, Luzio A, Bellas J, Monteiro SM. Microplastics- and copper-induced changes in neurogenesis and DNA methyltransferases in the early life stages of zebrafish. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 363:110021. [PMID: 35728670 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to microplastics (MPs, 2 mg/L) and copper (Cu, 60 and 125 μg/L), alone or combined, for 14 days, and the development of motor neurons was assessed through gene expression and immunohistochemistry. DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) genes expression was also evaluated. The results showed a downregulation of neuronal proliferation (sox2, pcna), neurogenesis (neuroD, olig2), and motor neurons development (islet) related genes, implying potential deficits in the neurogenesis of the exposed zebrafish early life stages. Downregulation of the maintenance and de novo DNMTs expression was also found, indicating that the DNA methylation patterns could be modulated by MPs and Cu. A high relative volume of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells was found in the fish retina from the MPs exposed group, suggesting that MPs increased the rate of cellular division. In contrast, a significant decrease of PCNA-positive cells, and therefore a lower cell proliferation, was found in the retina and brain of zebrafish exposed to Cu and Cu + MPs, which could lead to cognitive and behavioral functions impairment. No alterations were found in the relative volume of ISL1&2-positive cells. This study contributes to the knowledge of the mechanisms by which MPs and Cu cause neurotoxicity, fundamental for a comprehensive and realistic ecological risk assessment in aquatic populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dércia Santos
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB and Inov4Agro, Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-food Production, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal; University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
| | - Ana Luzio
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB and Inov4Agro, Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-food Production, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal; University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Juan Bellas
- Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, IEO-CSIC, Subida a Radio Faro 50, 36390, Vigo, Spain
| | - Sandra M Monteiro
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB and Inov4Agro, Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-food Production, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal; University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
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Teng M, Zhao X, Wang C, Wang C, White JC, Zhao W, Zhou L, Duan M, Wu F. Polystyrene Nanoplastics Toxicity to Zebrafish: Dysregulation of the Brain-Intestine-Microbiota Axis. ACS NANO 2022; 16:8190-8204. [PMID: 35507640 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c01872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In animal species, the brain-gut axis is a complex bidirectional network between the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the central nervous system (CNS) consisting of numerous microbial, immune, neuronal, and hormonal pathways that profoundly impact organism development and health. Although nanoplastics (NPs) have been shown to cause intestinal and neural toxicity in fish, the role of the neurotransmitter and intestinal microbiota interactions in the underlying mechanism of toxicity, particularly at environmentally relevant contaminant concentrations, remains unknown. Here, the effect of 44 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) on the brain-intestine-microbe axis and embryo-larval development in zebrafish (Danio rerio) was investigated. Exposure to 1, 10, and 100 μg/L PS-NPs for 30 days inhibited growth and adversely affected inflammatory responses and intestinal permeability. Targeted metabolomics analysis revealed an alteration of 42 metabolites involved in neurotransmission. The content of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC; dopamine metabolite formed by monoamine oxidase activity) was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner after PS-NP exposure. Changes in the 14 metabolites correlated with changes to 3 microbial groups, including Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes, as compared to the control group. A significant relationship between Firmicutes and homovanillic acid (0.466, Pearson correlation coefficient) was evident. Eight altered metabolites (l-glutamine (Gln), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), serotonin, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), l-cysteine (Cys), l-glutamic acid (Glu), norepinephrine (NE), and l-tryptophan (l-Trp)) had a negative relationship with Proteobacteria although histamine (His) and acetylcholine chloride (ACh chloride) levels were positively correlated with Proteobacteria. An Associated Network analysis showed that Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were highly correlated (0.969). Furthermore, PS-NPs accumulated in the gastrointestinal tract of offspring and impaired development of F1 (2 h post-fertilization) embryos, including reduced spontaneous movements, hatching rate, and length. This demonstration of transgenerational deficits is of particular concern. These findings suggest that PS-NPs cause intestinal inflammation, growth inhibition, and restricted development of zebrafish, which are strongly linked to the disrupted regulation within the brain-intestine-microbiota axis. Our study provides insights into how xenobiotics can disrupt the regulation of brain-intestine-microbiota and suggests that these end points should be taken into account when assessing environmental health risks of PS-NPs to aquatic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Chengju Wang
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Jason C White
- The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Wentian Zhao
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Lingfeng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Manman Duan
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
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Liang B, Huang Y, Zhong Y, Li Z, Ye R, Wang B, Zhang B, Meng H, Lin X, Du J, Hu M, Wu Q, Sui H, Yang X, Huang Z. Brain single-nucleus transcriptomics highlights that polystyrene nanoplastics potentially induce Parkinson's disease-like neurodegeneration by causing energy metabolism disorders in mice. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 430:128459. [PMID: 35739658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
With the prevalence of nanoplastics in daily life, human exposure is inevitable. However, whether and how nanoplastics cause neurotoxicity in humans remains obscure. Herein, we conducted a 28-day repeated dose oral toxicity study in C57BL/6 J mice exposed to 0.25-250 mg/kg body weight (BW) polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 50 nm). We revealed that PS-NP-caused Parkinson's disease (PD)-like neurodegeneration in mice by multiple approaches. Furthermore, a single-nucleus RNA sequencing of 62,843 brain nuclei unearthed PS-NP-induced cell-specific responses in the mouse brains. These disturbed responses among various brain cells were primarily linked with energy metabolism disorder and mitochondrial dysfunction in all brain cells, and especially in excitatory neurons, accompanied by inflammatory turbulence in astrocytes and microglia, dysfunction of proteostasis and synaptic-function regulation in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and endotheliocytes. These responses may synergize in PS-NP-motivated PD-like neurodegeneration pathogenesis. Moreover, we verified these single-nucleus transcriptomics findings on different brain regions and found that PS-NPs potentially caused PD-like neurodegeneration primarily by causing energy metabolism disorder in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and striatum. This manifested as decreases in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and expression levels of ATP-associated genes and proteins. Given nanoplastics' inevitable and growing exposure risks to humans, the neurological health risks of nanoplastic exposure warrant serious consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boxuan Liang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yuji Huang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yizhou Zhong
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Zhiming Li
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Rongyi Ye
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Bo Wang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Bingli Zhang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Hao Meng
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xi Lin
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jiaxin Du
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Manjiang Hu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Qinghong Wu
- Laboratory Animal Management Center, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Haixia Sui
- Division III of Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100022, China
| | - Xingfen Yang
- Food Safety and Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Zhenlie Huang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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Zhang L, Wang S, Zhao Y, Nurdebek B, Bu Y, Wang D. Long-term exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles causes transgenerational toxicity by affecting the function and expression of MEV-1 and DAF-2 signals in Caenorhabditis elegans. NANOIMPACT 2022; 26:100403. [PMID: 35560288 DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2022.100403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we determined the roles of oxidative stress and related signals in mediating transgenerational toxicity of 30 nm polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Using brood size and locomotion behavior as endpoints, exposure to 1-100 μg/L PS-NPs caused transgenerational toxicity. Meanwhile, the activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also observed transgenerationally after exposure to 1-100 μg/L PS-NPs. After exposure to 1 μg/L PS-NPs, the transgenerational toxicity was monitored until F2 generation (F2-G) and recovered at F3-G. At the F1-G of 1 μg/L PS-NPs-exposed nematodes, RNAi knockdown of daf-2 with function to inhibit oxidative stress suppressed the transgenerational toxicity and increased the mitochondrial SOD-3 expression. In contrast, at F3-G of 1 μg/L PS-NPs-exposed nematodes, RNAi knockdown of mev-1 with function to induce oxidative stress promoted locomotion and brood size, and suppressed the SOD-3 expression. Moreover, we observed the dynamic expressions of mev-1, daf-2, and sod-2 transgenerationally after exposure to 1 μg/L PS-NPs at P0-G, which further suggested the involvement of MEV-1, DAF-2, and SOD-3 in affecting induction of transgenerational PS-NP toxicity. Therefore, we provided the evidence to suggest the roles of oxidative stress activation and related molecular signals in mediating induction of transgenerational PS-NP toxicity. Our data highlights the crucial function of oxidative stress-related signals during induction of transgenerational PS-NP toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Zhang
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Shuting Wang
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yunli Zhao
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | | | - Yuanqing Bu
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; Shenzhen Ruipuxun Academy for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, Shenzhen 518122, China.
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Jewett E, Arnott G, Connolly L, Vasudevan N, Kevei E. Microplastics and Their Impact on Reproduction—Can we Learn From the C. elegans Model? FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 4:748912. [PMID: 35399297 PMCID: PMC8987311 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2022.748912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Biologically active environmental pollutants have significant impact on ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Microplastic (MP) and nanoplastic (NP) particles are pollutants that are present in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems at virtually every level of the food chain. Moreover, recently, airborne microplastic particles have been shown to reach and potentially damage respiratory systems. Microplastics and nanoplastics have been shown to cause increased oxidative stress, inflammation, altered metabolism leading to cellular damage, which ultimately affects tissue and organismal homeostasis in numerous animal species and human cells. However, the full impact of these plastic particles on living organisms is not completely understood. The ability of MPs/NPs to carry contaminants, toxic chemicals, pesticides, and bioactive compounds, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals, present an additional risk to animal and human health. This review will discusses the current knowledge on pathways by which microplastic and nanoplastic particles impact reproduction and reproductive behaviors from the level of the whole organism down to plastics-induced cellular defects, while also identifying gaps in current knowledge regarding mechanisms of action. Furthermore, we suggest that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provides an advantageous high-throughput model system for determining the effect of plastic particles on animal reproduction, using reproductive behavioral end points and cellular readouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elysia Jewett
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth Arnott
- The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Connolly
- The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Nandini Vasudevan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Kevei
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Eva Kevei,
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