Biology Department, University of Crete, Herakleion, Crete, Greece.
Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece.
J Hazard Mater. 2021 Aug 15;416:125969. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125969. Epub 2021 Apr 29.
In the present study the effects of sublethal concentrations of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on zebrafish were evaluated at multiple levels, related to fish activity and oxidative stress, metabolic changes and contraction parameters in the heart tissue. Zebrafish were fed for 21 days food enriched with PS-MPs (particle sizes 3-12 µm) and a battery of stress indices like DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, autophagy, ubiquitin levels, caspases activation, metabolite adjustments, frequency and force of ventricular contraction were measured in fish heart, parallel to fish swimming velocity. In particular, exposure to PS-MPs caused significant decrease in heart function and swimming competence, while enhanced levels of oxidative stress indices and metabolic adjustments were observed in the heart of challenged species. Among stress indices, DNA damage was more vulnerable to the effect of PS-MPs. Our results provide evidence on the multiplicity of the PS-MPs effects on cellular function, physiology and metabolic pathways and heart rate of adult fish and subsequent effects on fish activity and fish fitness thus enlightening MPs characterization as a potent environmental pollutant.
在本研究中，评估了亚致死浓度聚苯乙烯微塑料 (PS-MPs) 对斑马鱼的多种影响，包括与鱼类活动和氧化应激、代谢变化以及心脏组织收缩参数相关的影响。斑马鱼被喂食了 21 天富含 PS-MPs（粒径 3-12μm）的食物，同时还测量了一系列应激指标，如 DNA 损伤、脂质过氧化、自噬、泛素水平、半胱天冬酶激活、代谢物调整、心室收缩的频率和力度，这些指标都在受挑战物种的心脏中进行测量，同时还测量了鱼类的游泳速度。特别是，暴露于 PS-MPs 会导致心脏功能和游泳能力显著下降，同时观察到心脏中的氧化应激指标和代谢物调整水平显著升高。在这些应激指标中，DNA 损伤对 PS-MPs 的影响更为敏感。我们的研究结果提供了证据，表明 PS-MPs 对成年鱼类的细胞功能、生理和代谢途径以及心率有多种影响，进而对鱼类的活动和适应能力产生影响，从而说明 MPs 是一种潜在的环境污染物。
