Assessment of the Risk of Microplastics on Gill and Gut Health and Subsequent Pathogen Susceptibility in the Goldfish Model
Microplastics are pervasive pollutants in aquatic ecosystems, yet their effects on fish tissues remain insufficiently characterized. Our study investigates the impact of polystyrene microplastics (0.5 and 2 μm) on the gill and intestinal tissues of goldfish (<i>Carassius auratus</i>), with a focus on inflammatory responses and pathogen susceptibility. Following two weeks of exposure, histological and molecular analyses revealed increased filament cartilage thickness in gills, enhanced villus thickness and goblet cell numbers in intestines, and upregulation of immune- and oxidative stress-related genes. Exposure to 0.5 μm microplastics significantly reduced survival after <i>Edwardsiella piscicida</i> infection, indicating increased vulnerability to pathogens. These findings highlight the immunotoxic effects of microplastics and their potential to compromise fish health in contaminated environments.
Authors
- Bohyun Yun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6723-5849)
- Aaron Yerke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8297-5818)
- BoMi Ryu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5797-500X)
- Sungmin Hwang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8347-8656)
- Ki Hwan Moon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5629-1140)
- Jimin Hyun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5680-605X)
- Jeong Woo Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3355-6908)
- Ho Sung Kim
- Yongjoon Yoon
Institutions
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte (US)
- Korea Maritime and Ocean University (KR)
- National Institute of Biological Resources (KR)
- Pukyong National University (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
- Published
- 2025-08-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2504.04019
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.50
Funders
- National Research Foundation
- Korea Maritime and Ocean University
- Ministry of Environment
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Ministry of Education, India
- Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea
- National Institute of Biological Resources