Nanoplastics and chain-length-dependent PFCs disrupt reproductive endocrinology by targeting the PKC - GnRH signaling axis

IF 6.1 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Pub Date : 2025-10-01 DOI:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119103

Xi Li , Yuying Fang , Jinxi Song , Haichao Sha , Le Zhang , Qi Li

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Abstract

Nanoplastics (NPs) and microplastics (MPs) are widespread in aquatic ecosystems and frequently co-occurred with perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), yet their combined toxic effects remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the combined toxicity of both nano- and micro-sized polystyrene (PS) and two PFCs [perfluorooctanesulphonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS)] to Brachionus calyciflorus. PFOS exerted markedly higher toxicity effects than PFBS. Both nano-sized (50 nm) and micro-sized (1 μm) PS were examined, and the results showed that particle size strongly modulated toxic outcomes, with nanoplastics producing more pronounced effects than microplastics. Co-exposure to nanoplastics significantly enhanced PFOS reproductive toxicity by promoting oxidative stress and altering reproductive modes, whereas PS combined with PFBS showed no significant synergistic toxicity. Transcriptomic and molecular docking analyses further revealed that both PFOS and PFBS targeted protein kinase C (PKC), implicating disrupted calcium signaling and mitochondrial function as key drivers of reproductive impairment. These findings reveal a novel mode of reproductive toxicity induced by PFCs in invertebrates and highlight the importance of monitoring emerging fluorinated contaminants in combination with nanoplastics.

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纳米塑料和链长依赖性pfc通过靶向PKC - GnRH信号轴破坏生殖内分泌学

纳米塑料（NPs）和微塑料（MPs）在水生生态系统中广泛存在，并经常与全氟化合物（pfc）共存，但它们的综合毒性作用仍然知之甚少。本文研究了纳米和微聚苯乙烯（PS）和两种全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）和全氟丁烷磺酸（PFBS）对萼花臂尾轮虫的联合毒性。全氟辛烷磺酸的毒性作用明显高于全氟辛烷磺酸。对纳米（50 nm）和微米（1 μm） PS进行了研究，结果表明，粒径对毒性结果有很强的调节作用，纳米塑料比微塑料产生更明显的影响。纳米塑料共暴露可通过促进氧化应激和改变生殖模式显著增强全氟辛烷磺酸的生殖毒性，而PS与全氟辛烷磺酸联合暴露无显著的协同毒性。转录组学和分子对接分析进一步揭示，PFOS和PFBS都靶向蛋白激酶C (PKC)，暗示钙信号和线粒体功能的破坏是生殖障碍的关键驱动因素。这些发现揭示了全氟化合物在无脊椎动物中诱导的一种新的生殖毒性模式，并强调了监测新出现的含氟污染物与纳米塑料结合的重要性。

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来源期刊

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 环境科学-毒理学

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

5.90%

发文量

1234

审稿时长

88 days

期刊介绍： Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety is a multi-disciplinary journal that focuses on understanding the exposure and effects of environmental contamination on organisms including human health. The scope of the journal covers three main themes. The topics within these themes, indicated below, include (but are not limited to) the following: Ecotoxicology、Environmental Chemistry、Environmental Safety etc.