Microplastics-Induced Eryptosis and Poikilocytosis in Early-Juvenile Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

This study aims to assess the impact of microplastics (MPs) on erythrocytes using eryptosis (apoptosis) and an erythron profile (poikilocytosis and nuclear abnormalities), considered to be novel biomarkers in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). In this study, four groups of fish were used: The first was the control group. In the second group, 1 mg/L of MPs was introduced to the samples. The third group was exposed to 10 mg/L of MPs. Finally, the fourth group was exposed to 100 mg/L of MPs for 15 days, following 15 days of recovery. The fish treated with MPs experienced an immense rise in the eryptosis percentage, poikilocytosis, and nuclear abnormalities of red blood cells (RBCs) compared with the control group in a concentration-dependent manner. Poikilocytosis of MP-exposed groups included sickle cell shape, schistocyte, elliptocyte, acanthocyte, and other shapes. Nuclear abnormalities of the MPs-exposed groups included micronuclei, binucleated erythrocytes, notched, lobed, blebbed, and hemolyzed nuclei. After the recovery period, a greater percentage of eryptosis, poikilocytotic cells, and nuclear abnormalities in RBCs were still evident in the groups exposed to MPs when crosschecked with the control group. The results show concerning facts regarding the toxicity of MPs in tilapia.

Polyethylene microplastics increases the tissue damage caused by 4-nonylphenol in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) juvenile

“…In this study, the gill tissue showed deformation, including shortening of the SL, fusion and vacuolation of the interlamellar epithelium, displacement of epithelial cells, vacuolation of the blood capillaries, severe edema, hyperemia, and lifting of the epithelium. These alterations were similarly reported in carp exposed to lead acetate (Mustafa et al, 2017), catfish exposed to 4-NP (Sayed et al, 2012), Oreochromis niloticus exposed to MPs (Hamed et al, 2021), and other types of fish exposed to different contaminants (Cengiz and Unlu, 2006;Figueiredo-Fernandes et al, 2007;Farrell et al, 2010;Hadi and Alwan, 2012;Sayed et al, 2020). The gills of teleost fishes can be damaged by exposure to high concentrations of different contaminants (Dutta et al, 1996;Wendelaar Bonga, 1997).…”

“…Microplastics and 4-NP may accumulate in the liver tissue causing hepatic necrosis and degenerative changes. Histopathology studies indicate that hepatocyte damage is related to energy reductions and metabolic disturbances, microtubule disaggregation, protein synthesis inhibition, and an increase in hepatic red blood cell production (Laureń et al, 1990;da Costa Araujo et al, 2020;Hamed et al, 2021). In the liver, PE plastics may block hepatic capillaries, causing sinusoidal dilatation (Brancatelli et al, 2018;Hamed et al, 2022).…”

Hemotoxic effects of polyethylene microplastics on mice

“…This may cause inhibition of growth and development ( Koelmans et al, 2014 ) and energy deficiency ( Galloway 2015 ). Among the cellular impacts were modifications to immunological responses, the lysosomal compartment, peroxisome proliferation, antioxidant system, neurotoxic effects, and the start of genotoxicity ( Avio et al, 2015 ; Hamed et al, 2019 ; Hamed et al 2020 ; Hamed et al 2021 ; Sayed et al, 2021 ; Ammar et al, 2022 ; Sayed et al, 2022 ; Sayed et al, 2022 ). Microplastic-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been shown to be an inducer of oxidative stress in some marine organisms ( Wright et al, 2013 ).…”

Effects of major and trace elements from the El Kahfa ring complex on fish: Geological, physicochemical, and biological approaches

“…Also, the rise in the morphological distortions of erythrocytes in catfish under disclosure to UVA was investigated (Osman et al, 2019). Even more, exposure to heavy can cause damage and mutation in DNA, reflecting in the quality of micronucleus and other alterations in erythrocytes, as previously studied (Osman et al, 2019;Soliman et al, 2019;Sayed et al, 2021a;Sayed et al, 2021b;Hamed et al, 2021;Soliman et al, 2021;Hamed et al, 2022). In another study conducted by Trifuoggi et al (2017), a group of chlorides of 7 REEs were tested on two sea urchin species showed developmental defects and cytogenetic anomalies.…”