Toxic effects of microplastics and nitrite exposure on intestinal histology, digestion, immunity, and microbial community of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2024-03, Vol.200, p.116077-116077, Article 116077
• Main Authors: Xing, Yi-fu, Zhu, Xuan-yi, Huang, Jian-hua, Nan, Yu-xiu, Duan, Ya-fei, Zhang, Jia-song
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; antioxidant enzymes; Antioxidants - metabolism; apoptosis; Bacteria - metabolism; Digestion; endoplasmic reticulum stress; gene expression; histology; Hydrogen Peroxide; immune response; Intestinal health; intestines; Litopenaeus vannamei; marine pollution; microbial communities; Microbiota; Microplastics; Nitrite; Nitrites; Penaeidae; Physiological function; Plastics - pharmacology; Shrimp; toxicity
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116077

Nitrite and microplastics (MPs) are environmental pollutants that threaten intestinal integrity and affect immune function of shrimp. In this study, the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei were exposed to the individual and combined stress of nitrite and microplastics for 14 days, and the changes of intestinal histology and physiological functions were investigated. After single and combined stress, affectations occurred in intestinal tissue; the antioxidant enzyme activities (MDA, H2O2, CAT increased) and gene expression levels (CAT, SOD, GPx, HSP70 up-regulated) changed. The expression levels of detoxification genes (CYP450, UGT down-regulated, GST up-regulated), apoptosis genes (CASP-3 up-regulated) and endoplasmic reticulum stress genes (Bip, GRP94 down-regulated) changed. Furthermore, the stress also increased intestinal microbial diversity, causing bacterial composition variation, especially beneficial bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. These results suggested that nitrite and microplastics stress had adverse effects on the intestinal health of L. vannamei by affecting intestinal tissue morphology, immune response and microbial community. •The polyethylene microspheres can accumulate in the shrimp intestine regardless of nitrite stress.•The intestinal tissue showed obvious histological change and oxidative stress responses.•Intestinal immunity, detoxification, apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress gene indexes were affected.•The abundances of intestinal beneficial bacteria and pathogenic bacteria were changed.