Combined Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics at the Predicted Environmental Concentration on Functional State of Intestinal Barrier in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>
The possible toxicity caused by nanoplastics or microplastics on organisms has been extensively studied. However, the unavoidably combined effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on organisms, particularly intestinal toxicity, are rarely clear. Here, we employed <i>Caenorhabditis elegans<...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/8/653 |
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| author | Yu Wu Xiaochao Tan Xian Shi Peiyu Han Huanliang Liu |
| author_facet | Yu Wu Xiaochao Tan Xian Shi Peiyu Han Huanliang Liu |
| author_sort | Yu Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The possible toxicity caused by nanoplastics or microplastics on organisms has been extensively studied. However, the unavoidably combined effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on organisms, particularly intestinal toxicity, are rarely clear. Here, we employed <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> to investigate the combined effects of PS-50 (50 nm nanopolystyrene) and PS-500 (500 nm micropolystyrene) at environmentally relevant concentrations on the functional state of the intestinal barrier. Environmentally, after long-term treatment (4.5 days), coexposure to PS-50 (10 and 15 μg/L) and PS-500 (1 μg/L) resulted in more severe formation of toxicity in decreasing locomotion behavior, in inhibiting brood size, in inducing intestinal ROS production, and in inducting intestinal autofluorescence production, compared with single-exposure to PS-50 (10 and 15 μg/L) or PS-500 (1 μg/L). Additionally, coexposure to PS-50 (15 μg/L) and PS-500 (1 μg/L) remarkably caused an enhancement in intestinal permeability, but no detectable abnormality of intestinal morphology was observed in wild-type nematodes. Lastly, the downregulation of <i>acs-22</i> or <i>erm-1</i> expression and the upregulation expressions of genes required for controlling oxidative stress (<i>sod-2</i>, <i>sod-3</i>, <i>isp-1</i>, <i>clk-1</i>, <i>gas-1</i>, and <i>ctl-3</i>) served as a molecular basis to strongly explain the formation of intestinal toxicity caused by coexposure to PS-50 (15 μg/L) and PS-500 (1 μg/L). Our results suggested that combined exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics at the predicted environmental concentration causes intestinal toxicity by affecting the functional state of the intestinal barrier in organisms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:31:44Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:31:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj.art-86315e2b2c3148ca9f33bcbd0d688f0e2023-11-19T03:14:09ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042023-07-0111865310.3390/toxics11080653Combined Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics at the Predicted Environmental Concentration on Functional State of Intestinal Barrier in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>Yu Wu0Xiaochao Tan1Xian Shi2Peiyu Han3Huanliang Liu4Environment and Health Research Division, Public Health Research Center, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaEnvironment and Health Research Division, Public Health Research Center, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaEnvironment and Health Research Division, Public Health Research Center, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaEnvironment and Health Research Division, Public Health Research Center, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaEnvironment and Health Research Division, Public Health Research Center, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaThe possible toxicity caused by nanoplastics or microplastics on organisms has been extensively studied. However, the unavoidably combined effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on organisms, particularly intestinal toxicity, are rarely clear. Here, we employed <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> to investigate the combined effects of PS-50 (50 nm nanopolystyrene) and PS-500 (500 nm micropolystyrene) at environmentally relevant concentrations on the functional state of the intestinal barrier. Environmentally, after long-term treatment (4.5 days), coexposure to PS-50 (10 and 15 μg/L) and PS-500 (1 μg/L) resulted in more severe formation of toxicity in decreasing locomotion behavior, in inhibiting brood size, in inducing intestinal ROS production, and in inducting intestinal autofluorescence production, compared with single-exposure to PS-50 (10 and 15 μg/L) or PS-500 (1 μg/L). Additionally, coexposure to PS-50 (15 μg/L) and PS-500 (1 μg/L) remarkably caused an enhancement in intestinal permeability, but no detectable abnormality of intestinal morphology was observed in wild-type nematodes. Lastly, the downregulation of <i>acs-22</i> or <i>erm-1</i> expression and the upregulation expressions of genes required for controlling oxidative stress (<i>sod-2</i>, <i>sod-3</i>, <i>isp-1</i>, <i>clk-1</i>, <i>gas-1</i>, and <i>ctl-3</i>) served as a molecular basis to strongly explain the formation of intestinal toxicity caused by coexposure to PS-50 (15 μg/L) and PS-500 (1 μg/L). Our results suggested that combined exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics at the predicted environmental concentration causes intestinal toxicity by affecting the functional state of the intestinal barrier in organisms.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/8/653combined toxicitynanoplasticsmicroplasticsenvironmentally relevant concentrationsintestinal barrier<i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| spellingShingle | Yu Wu Xiaochao Tan Xian Shi Peiyu Han Huanliang Liu Combined Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics at the Predicted Environmental Concentration on Functional State of Intestinal Barrier in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> Toxics combined toxicity nanoplastics microplastics environmentally relevant concentrations intestinal barrier <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title | Combined Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics at the Predicted Environmental Concentration on Functional State of Intestinal Barrier in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_full | Combined Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics at the Predicted Environmental Concentration on Functional State of Intestinal Barrier in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_fullStr | Combined Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics at the Predicted Environmental Concentration on Functional State of Intestinal Barrier in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combined Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics at the Predicted Environmental Concentration on Functional State of Intestinal Barrier in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_short | Combined Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics at the Predicted Environmental Concentration on Functional State of Intestinal Barrier in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| title_sort | combined effects of micro and nanoplastics at the predicted environmental concentration on functional state of intestinal barrier in i caenorhabditis elegans i |
| topic | combined toxicity nanoplastics microplastics environmentally relevant concentrations intestinal barrier <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/8/653 |
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