Microplastic polyamide toxicity: Neurotoxicity, stress indicators and immune responses in crucian carp, Carassius carassius

Jae-Ho Choi; Ju-Hyeong Lee; A-Hyun Jo; Young Jae Choi; Cheol Young Choi; Ju-Chan Kang; Jun-Hwan Kim

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115469

Microplastic polyamide toxicity: Neurotoxicity, stress indicators and immune responses in crucian carp, Carassius carassius

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 Oct 15:265:115469. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115469. Epub 2023 Sep 22.

Authors

Jae-Ho Choi¹, Ju-Hyeong Lee¹, A-Hyun Jo², Young Jae Choi³, Cheol Young Choi⁴, Ju-Chan Kang⁵, Jun-Hwan Kim⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Aquatic Life Medicine, Pukyong National University, Busan 608-737, the Republic of Korea.
² Department of Aquatic Life and Medical Science, Sun Moon University, Asan-si, the Republic of Korea.
³ Inland Fisheries Research Institute, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Geumsan 32762, the Republic of Korea. Electronic address: discus62@korea.kr.
⁴ Division of Marine BioScience, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan 49112, the Republic of South Korea. Electronic address: choic@kmou.ac.kr.
⁵ Department of Aquatic Life Medicine, Pukyong National University, Busan 608-737, the Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jckang@pknu.ac.kr.
⁶ Department of Aquatic Life Medicine, College of Ocean Sciences, Jeju National University. Electronic address: junhwan1982@hanmail.net.

PMID: 37742571
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115469

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the toxicity standard and potential risks and effects of polyamide (PA) exposure on neurotoxicity, stress indicators, and immune responses in juvenile crucian carp Carassius carassius. Numerous microplastics (MPs) exists within aquatic environments, leading to diverse detrimental impacts on aquatic organisms. The C. carassius (mean weight, 23.7 ± 1.6 g; mean length, 13.9 ± 1.4 cm) were exposed to PA concentrations of 0, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 mg/L for 2 weeks. Among the neurotransmitters, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the liver, gill, and intestine of C. carassius was significantly inhibited by PA exposure. Stress indicators such as cortisol and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in the liver, gill, and intestine of C. carassius were significantly increased, while immune responses to lysozyme and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were significantly decreased. Our study demonstrates the toxic effects of MP exposure on crucian carp's neurotoxicity, stress indicators, and immune responses.

Keywords: Crucian carp; Immunotoxicity; Microplastics (polyamide); Neurotransmitter; Stress responses.