PUBLICATION
Nanoplastics exposure induces vascular malformation by interfering with the VEGFA/VEGFR pathway in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
- Authors
- Dai, L., Luo, J., Feng, M., Wang, M., Zhang, J., Cao, X., Yang, X., Li, J.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-221126-6
- Date
- 2022
- Source
- Chemosphere 312(Pt 2): 137360 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Luo, Juanjuan, Yang, Xiaojun
- Keywords
- Developmental toxicity, Nanoplastics, VEGF, Vascular malformation, Zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
- Nerve Tissue Proteins
- Cardiovascular Abnormalities*
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics
- Vascular Malformations*
- Microplastics*/toxicity
- Zebrafish
- Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
- Animals
- Zebrafish Proteins
- Claudin-5
- PubMed
- 36427586 Full text @ Chemosphere
Citation
Dai, L., Luo, J., Feng, M., Wang, M., Zhang, J., Cao, X., Yang, X., Li, J. (2022) Nanoplastics exposure induces vascular malformation by interfering with the VEGFA/VEGFR pathway in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Chemosphere. 312(Pt 2):137360.
Abstract
The widespread accumulation and adverse effects of nanoplastics (NPs) are a growing concern for environmental and human health. However, the potential toxicological effects of nanoplastics, especially on vascular development, have not been well studied. In this study, the zebrafish model was utilized to systematically study the developmental toxicity of nanoplastics exposure at different concentrations with morphological, histological, and molecular levels. The results revealed developmental defects in zebrafish embryos after exposure to different concentrations of nanoplastics. Specifically, the morphological deformities, including pericardial oedema and spine curvature, as well as the abnormal body length and the rates of survival and hatching were induced after nanoplastics exposure in zebrafish embryos. In addition, we found that nanoplastics exposure could induce vascular malformation, including the ectopic sprouting of intersegmental vessels (ISVs), malformation of superficial ocular vessels (SOVs), and overgrowth of the common cardinal vein (CCV), as well as the disorganized vasculature of the subintestinal venous plexus (SIVP). Moreover, further study indicated that SU5416, a specific vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor, partially rescued the nanoplastics exposure-impaired vasculature, suggesting that the VEGFA/VEGFR pathway might be associated with nanoplastics-induced vascular malformation in zebrafish embryos. Further quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays revealed that the mRNA levels of VEGFA/VEGFR pathway-related genes, including vegfa, nrp1, klf6a, flt1, fih-1, flk1, cldn5a, and rspo3, were altered in different groups, indicating that nanoplastics exposure interferes with the VEGFA/VEGFR pathway, thereby inducing vascular malformation during the early developmental stage in zebrafish embryos. Therefore, our findings illustrated that nanoplastics might induce vascular malformation by regulating VEGFA/VEGFR pathway-related genes at the early developmental stage in zebrafish.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping