PUBLICATION

Exposure to microplastics decreases swimming competence in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Authors
Qiang, L., Cheng, J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-190403-16
Date
2019
Source
Ecotoxicology and environmental safety   176: 226-233 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
Dark avoidance, Microplastics, Swimming competence, Uptake, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Biological Assay
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/physiology
  • Gene Expression/drug effects
  • Larva/drug effects*
  • Larva/physiology
  • Oxidative Stress/drug effects
  • Oxidative Stress/genetics
  • Plastics/toxicity*
  • Swimming*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/physiology*
PubMed
30939402 Full text @ Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.
Abstract
Microplastics have been frequently detected in both marine and freshwater ecosystems. Their impact on aquatic organisms has raised much concern. This study investigated the impact of microplastics on zebrafish embryos and larvae, with a special focus on their swimming competence. The zebrafish embryos were exposed to microplastics starting from 4 h post fertilization. Microplastics first adhered to the embryo chorion, then entered the stomach and intestinal tract of the larvae later. In the free swimming test, exposure to 1000 μg/L (around 1.91 × 107 particles/L) of microplastics led to a significant decrease in both swimming distance and speed of zebrafish larvae under the dark condition by 3.2% and 3.5% respectively. In the alternating light-to-dark photoperiod stimulation assay, exposure to 100 and 1000 μg/L (around 1.91 × 106 and 1.91 × 107 particles/L) of microplastics caused a 4.6% and 2.6% decrease in swimming distance, and reduced the active speed by 4.9% and 2.8%, possibly as a result of inhibited dark avoidance in treated zebrafish larvae. At the molecular level, exposure to microplastics induced upregulated expression of inflammation (il1b) and oxidative stress (cat) related genes. This study demonstrates that exposure to microplastics significantly decreases larvae swimming competence, which may have significant impacts on its population fitness in the aquatic environment and further ecological consequences.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping