Uptake and Accumulation of Polystyrene Microplastics in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Toxic Effects in Liver

Abstract

Microplastics have become emerging contaminants, causing widespread concern about their potential toxic effects. In this study, the uptake and tissue accumulation of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) in zebrafish were detected, and the toxic effects in liver were investigated. The results showed that after 7 days of exposure, 5 μm diameter MPs accumulated in fish gills, liver, and gut, while 20 μm diameter MPs accumulated only in fish gills and gut. Histopathological analysis showed that both 5 μm and 70 nm PS-MPs caused inflammation and lipid accumulation in fish liver. PS-MPs also induced significantly increased activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, indicating that oxidative stress was induced after treatment with MPs. In addition, metabolomic analysis suggested that exposure to MPs induced alterations of metabolic profiles in fish liver and disturbed the lipid and energy metabolism. These findings provide new insights into the toxic effects of MPs on fish.

Commentary: Tissue accumulation of microplastics in mice and biomarker responses suggest widespread health risks of exposure

“…Even the consumption of oysters which rather high accumulation of microplastics (Galloway and Lewis, 2016) would hardly approach the amounts used in the experiments. How do microplastics elicit the adverse effects seen in mouse liver and the zebrafish liver in the earlier report (Lu et al, 2016)? To reach the liver, the ingested microplastics would need to somehow negotiate the gut-vascular barrier (Spadoni et al, 2015) or be taken up by intestinal enterocytes and transported across the epithelial mucosal lining in a manner akin to transcytosis of macromolecules.…”

“…Microplastics are taken up and could accumulate in the gills and gut tissues of mussels and oysters (von Moos et al, 2012;Van Cauwenberghe et al, 2015;Paul-Pont et al, 2016;Sussarellu et al, 2016), with histopathology and stress responses documented with the former and reproductive deficiencies noted for the latter, as well as other marine invertebrates (Wright et al, 2013). More recent work has also documented adverse effects of microplastic ingestion in aquatic vertebrates such as the zebrafish (Lu et al, 2016;Chen et al, 2017). Ren's laboratory, for example, reported that 5 and 20 µm polystyrene micro-particles accumulate in gills, gut tissues and in the liver of zebrafish (Lu et al, 2016).…”

“…More recent work has also documented adverse effects of microplastic ingestion in aquatic vertebrates such as the zebrafish (Lu et al, 2016;Chen et al, 2017). Ren's laboratory, for example, reported that 5 and 20 µm polystyrene micro-particles accumulate in gills, gut tissues and in the liver of zebrafish (Lu et al, 2016). Analysis of the fish liver revealed histological signs of inflammation and lipid accumulation, with elevation of oxidative stress marker enzymes and changes in the metabolomics profile.…”

Micro-and macro-plastics in marine species from Nordic waters

“…In addition, it has been found that such exposure to nanoparticles can change fish metabolism (Cedervall et al, 2012). Plastic exposure has also been found to change gene expression for example up-regulation of fatty acids and down regulation of amino acids (Lu et al, 2016) while also other impacts following microplastic exposure have been found, such as hepatic stress .…”

Estudo Sobre Microplásticos Em Águas Superficiais Na Porção Oeste Da Baía De Guanabara

“…A Baía de Guanabara, apesar de ser considerado um dos ambientes costeiros mais degradados do país, devido ao seu alto grau de eutrofização antrópica (Coelho, 2007;Soares-Gomes et al, 2016) Alguns pesquisadores já relataram que organismos de diferentes tamanhos estão sendo afetados pela contaminação com microplásticos (Thompson, R. C. et al, 2004;Hidalgo-Ruz et al, 2012;Lu et al, 2016).…”