Nanoplastics-induced hormesis enhances cadmium bioaccumulation in nematodes by stimulating glutathione synthesis

IF 8 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Science of the Total Environment Pub Date : 2025-06-30 DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179983

Caijiao He , Shuang Zhang , Yi Chi , Jing Wang , Jiang Xu , Jie Hou , Daohui Lin

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Abstract

Nanoplastics (NPs) induce hormesis at environmental concentrations due to their relatively low toxicity; however, this phenomenon can alter the response of biota to coexisting heavy metals, resulting in unknown combined risks. In this study, we investigated the joint effects of cadmium (Cd) and four polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) with different sizes (100 nm and 500 nm) and surface modifications (-NH₂ and -COOH) on Caenorhabditis elegans, focusing on how NPs-induced bioresponses contribute to Cd accumulation in nematodes. Different from traditional views, the results show that NPs enhance Cd accumulation primarily through hormesis rather than direct adsorption. Coexposure with the four PS-NPs significantly increased Cd bioaccumulation by 1.33–1.71-fold compared to Cd-alone treatments, attributed to elevated storage of glutathione (GSH)-Cd complexes in gut granules. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed a 14.0–20.6 % upregulation of metal-response molecules, driven by activation of sulfur-containing amino acid metabolism pathways. These molecular bioresponses doubled GSH synthesis, promoting GSH-Cd complexation and Cd accumulation. Our findings underscore the overlooked role of NPs-induced hormesis in amplifying heavy metal bioaccumulation and associated risks.

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纳米塑料诱导的激效通过刺激谷胱甘肽合成来增强线虫体内镉的生物积累

纳米塑料（NPs）由于其相对较低的毒性而在环境浓度下引起激效；然而，这种现象可能改变生物群对共存重金属的反应，导致未知的综合风险。在本研究中，我们研究了镉（Cd）和4种不同尺寸（100 nm和500 nm）和表面修饰（-NH2和-COOH）的聚苯乙烯纳米塑料（PS-NPs）对秀丽隐杆线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans）的联合作用，重点研究了nps诱导的生物反应对线虫Cd积累的影响。与传统观点不同，结果表明NPs主要通过激效而不是直接吸附来促进Cd的积累。与单独Cd处理相比，与4种PS-NPs共暴露显着增加了Cd的生物积累1.33 - 1.71倍，这归因于肠道颗粒中谷胱甘肽(GSH)-Cd复合物的储存增加。转录组学和代谢组学分析显示，受含硫氨基酸代谢途径的激活驱动，金属响应分子上调14.0 - 20.6%。这些分子生物反应使GSH合成加倍，促进GSH-Cd络合和Cd积累。我们的研究结果强调了nps诱导的激效在放大重金属生物积累和相关风险方面被忽视的作用。

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来源期刊

Science of the Total Environment 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

17.60

自引率

10.20%

发文量

8726

审稿时长

2.4 months

期刊介绍： The Science of the Total Environment is an international journal dedicated to scientific research on the environment and its interaction with humanity. It covers a wide range of disciplines and seeks to publish innovative, hypothesis-driven, and impactful research that explores the entire environment, including the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere. The journal's updated Aims & Scope emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary environmental research with broad impact. Priority is given to studies that advance fundamental understanding and explore the interconnectedness of multiple environmental spheres. Field studies are preferred, while laboratory experiments must demonstrate significant methodological advancements or mechanistic insights with direct relevance to the environment.