Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology最新文献

{"title":"Assessing the chronic toxicity of the organic UV filter 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC) on Daphnia magna.","authors":"Yifan Wang, Ziyi Zhuang, Zhuo Li, Yuting Zhu, Yingchao Kong, Hongcheng Wang, Fengxiao Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110717","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110717","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC), as one of the most prevalent and mass-produced organic UV filters (OUVFs), has emerged as a globally significant pollutant. The continuous release of EHMC into surface waters presents significant hazards to aquatic biota, but its toxicological effects on aquatic invertebrates remain largely unknown. In the present study, Daphnia magna neonates were exposed to 0, 0.14, 1.65, and 15.71 μg/L EHMC for 21 days to investigate potential chronic adverse impacts on the growth, reproduction, antioxidant defense, and swimming behavior, and to explore the underlying toxicological mechanisms. The results indicated that EHMC significantly inhibited D. magna growth and reproduction, reducing body length, delaying first brood, lowering offspring count, and causing severe locomotor inhibition with decreased swimming speed and distance. qPCR analysis demonstrated that EHMC interfered with the expression patterns of core genes (e75, hr3) involved in the ecdysone signaling pathway and affected the transcriptional levels of reproductive-related genes (vtg1, vtg2). Furthermore, based on elevated juvenile hormone (JH) levels and upregulated jhe expression, we speculated that disruption of JH metabolism might contribute to reproductive suppression. Additionally, high concentrations of EHMC collapsed the antioxidant defense and triggered oxidative damage. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a marked negative correlation between ROS level, GPx activity and growth-reproduction indicators, suggesting a potential trade-off strategy that D. magna redistributed energy against oxidative damage under EHMC stress, thereby impairing physiological functions. Collectively, these findings deepen our understanding of EHMC's toxicity to aquatic invertebrates, and provide essential scientific basis for organic UV filters pollution control in aquatic environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"311 ","pages":"110717"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149223491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Time-associated physiological responses and transcriptomic changes in the bivalve Cyclina sinensis under ELF-EMF exposure.","authors":"Mingming Zhang, Chaojun Gu, Yuqing Fan, Yicheng Zhao, Shouhai Liu, Hu Zhang, Ni Ma, Guo Qiao, Zhenyu Wang, Boping Yang, Zhiguo Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110723","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110723","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rapid expansion of coastal wind farms raises concerns about extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) affecting marine organisms. Using Cyclina sinensis as a model, this study examined effects of short-term (24-h intermittent exposure, 2-h on/off, then field-free recovery to day 14) and long-term (14-d intermittent exposure, 2-h on/off) ELF-EMF exposure (15 ± 1 μT, 50 Hz) versus geomagnetic control. Physiological indices were measured at 0, 1, 14 days post exposure (dpe) with time-matched controls, transcriptomic controls existed only at 0 dpe. Survival was 100 ± 0% (Control), 95.56 ± 1.92% (Short-term), and 90.00 ± 3.33% (Long-term). Short-term exposure elevated hepatopancreatic SOD, CAT activities and reduced MDA levels, returning to baseline by 14 days after exposure ceased. Long-term exposure reduced SOD, CAT and increased MDA. Transcriptomic profiling versus 0 dpe baseline identified 5479 and 4985 differentially expressed unigenes in Short- and Long-term groups, respectively. Because no time-matched transcriptomic controls at 1 and 14 dpe were included, these comparisons are confounded by experimental time and cannot be attributed solely to ELF-EMF. Short-term enrichment of endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative phosphorylation agrees with a parallel study using the same exposure conditions and 14-d time-matched controls, supporting an ELF-EMF-associated early response. Other long-term transcriptomic changes including amino acid metabolism, translational changes remain exploratory. These results suggest time-associated physiological responses and provide preliminary molecular insights for ecological risk assessment of offshore wind farms and sustainable coastal management. Future studies with time-matched controls at both 1 and 14 dpe are required to validate the molecular findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"110723"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149219923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Embryonic exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics alters developmental, antioxidant and metabolic responses without detectable short-term behavioral impairment in Plestiodon chinensis.","authors":"Jiahui Xu, Shufang Zhang, Xinni He, Yongshi Liu, Yunhe Wu, Peng Li, Lian Chen, Zening Chen, Georgia Ward-Fear, Hong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110718","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110718","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Terrestrial soils are major sinks for nanoplastics, threatening soil-dwelling oviparous reptiles that lay permeable eggs. The present study investigated the effects of embryonic exposure to an environmentally relevant dose of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs; 1 mg/L) during incubation in the Chinese skink (Plestiodon chinensis). PS-NPs penetrated eggshells and accumulated in embryos, slowing egg growth, prolonging incubation, triggering oxidative stress, and altering immune-related responses. Crucially, the oxidative stress response was associated with different developmental stages, reflecting the lower functional capacity of early-stage antioxidant systems that rely heavily on non-enzymatic defenses. In contrast, no significant differences were detected in hatchling locomotor performance, boldness, or activity under the behavioral conditions tested. Untargeted metabolomic profiling further identified differences in several important metabolites in hatchlings exposed to PS-NPs. Collectively, these findings indicate that embryonic exposure to PS-NPs is associated with measurable changes to developmental, antioxidant and metabolic responses, while not producing detectable short-term behavioral impairment under the conditions tested in this study. Notably, this study provides the first evidence that antioxidant responses to nanoplastic exposure differ between developmental stages in reptiles. This offers novel insights into the physiological vulnerabilities of oviparous wildlife to soil pollution, and highlights the need to incorporate multiple developmental stages when conducting risk assessments for environmental contamination.</p>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"110718"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149215148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oxidative stress and ER-mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to carbon dot-induced cardiac developmental toxicity in zebrafish larvae.","authors":"Xiao-Yao Song, Xin-Wei Wang, Yu-Ting Wang, Jia-Yuan Ding, Xing-Yuan Meng, Yu-Tong Wang, Jie Huang, Jie Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110719","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110719","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Carbon dots (CDs) are increasingly used carbonaceous nanoparticles whose potential environmental and developmental hazards remain insufficiently characterized. Because the embryonic heart is the first organ to develop and is highly dependent on mitochondrial energy supply, it may be particularly vulnerable to nanoparticle-induced oxidative injury. Here, we used zebrafish larvae to investigate CDs-induced cardiac developmental toxicity and its underlying mechanisms. CDs exposure during developmental stages caused dose-dependent cardiotoxicity, including increased SV-BA distance, reduced heart rate and blood flow velocity, and dysregulated expression of cardiac developmental genes. Transcriptomic profiling revealed extensive reprogramming, with differentially expressed genes enriched in mitochondrial, calcium-signaling, and stress-response pathways, and identified tlr4, myd88, and nlrp3 as candidate hub genes. CDs elevated cardiac and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, induced mitochondrial swelling and cristae loss, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. These changes were accompanied by disrupted ER-mitochondria Ca²⁺ homeostasis, increased pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), neutrophil recruitment, and elevated apoptosis-related transcripts. Co-treatment with the antioxidant NAC, the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant Mito-tempo, or the ER-stress inhibitor 4-PBA substantially reversed these alterations, supporting convergent roles of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ER stress. These findings provide a cardiac-focused mechanistic assessment of CD developmental toxicity and propose quantifiable endpoints for screening nanoparticle cardiotoxicity.</p>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"110719"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149206638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Colubrid clotcraft: Divergent Factor Va cofactor utilisation underpins differential antivenom cross-reactivities for Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) and Eastern Twig Snake (Thelotornis mossambicanus) venoms.","authors":"Patrick S Champagne, Lorenzo Seneci, Zichen Qiao, Bryan G Fry","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110720","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110720","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rear-fanged African colubrids are increasingly recognised as capable of causing severe haemotoxic envenomation, yet the mechanistic basis of their procoagulant venom activity and the efficacy of available therapeutics remain incompletely resolved. We investigated the coagulotoxic mechanisms of Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) and Eastern Twig Snake (Thelotornis mossambicanus) venoms using plasma coagulation assays, fluorometric clotting factor activation assays, Factor V cleavage studies, antivenom neutralisation experiments, and small-molecule inhibitor testing. Both venoms induced rapid clotting of human plasma, with T. mossambicanus producing substantially faster clotting than D. typus, indicating greater overall procoagulant potency. The SAIMR Boomslang monovalent antivenom demonstrated markedly greater efficacy than VINS Boomsven monovalent antivenom against both venoms, including superior cross-neutralisation of T. mossambicanus (albeit still at low levels of limited therapeutic usefulness), while Boomsven showed negligible effectiveness against the latter species. Metalloproteinase inhibitors neutralised both venoms, supporting metalloproteinases as key mediators of coagulation disturbance in both species. Fluorometric assays demonstrated activation of FVII, FX, and prothrombin (with a rank order of FVII>FX > prothrombin), but not FXI or FXII, implicating extrinsic and common pathway mechanisms rather than intrinsic pathway activation. Both venoms used exogenous FVa to potentiate prothrombin activation, particularly T. mossambicanus, but neither venom-generated FV cleavage product functioned equivalently to thrombin-generated FVa. SDS-PAGE analyses confirmed proteolytic cleavage of FV into FVa-like fragments, revealing mechanistically distinct forms of venom-mediated FV activation. These findings provide new insight into the convergent evolution of cofactor-dependent procoagulant venom systems, highlight clinically important differences in antivenom cross-reactivity between closely related rear-fanged snakes, and support metalloproteinase inhibitors as promising therapeutic candidates for African colubrid envenomation.</p>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"110720"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149191941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When oceans acidify: Metal toxicity, uptake-depuration, and ion homeostasis in the copepod Nitokra sp.","authors":"Bolton Armando Nhamussua, Fernanda Chaves Lopes, Josiane Araujo da Silva, Patrícia Gomes Costa, Adalto Bianchini, Paloma Kachel Gusso-Choueri, Rodrigo Brasil Choueri, Camila de Martinez Gaspar Martins","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110716","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110716","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mechanisms governing metal kinetics help maintain trace element levels required for physiological functions and ion regulation in aquatic organisms. However, both essential and non-essential metals can become toxic at excessive concentrations. Water physicochemical properties, including pH and dissolved anions, influence metal speciation, bioavailability, and toxicity. Under acidic conditions, bioavailability may increase as H⁺ competes with metal cations for binding sites, increasing free metal ions. Greater bioavailability may also disrupt uptake of essential macronutrients such as calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na) through competition at biotic binding sites. In the present study, we assessed the toxicity (half maximal lethal concentration [LC₅₀]), toxicokinetics (bioaccumulation at the 10% lethal concentration [LC₁₀] followed by depuration), and the impacts on Ca and Na levels of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the estuarine copepod Nitokra sp. at pH 8.1 (natural) and pH 7.6 (acidified, as projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). All tested metals followed typical dose-response toxicity curves, with Cu being the most toxic, followed by Cd and Zn, with no significant differences between pH 8.1 and 7.6. Contrary to our hypothesis, bioconcentration factors were higher at pH 8.1 than at pH 7.6. Metal exposure did not significantly affect Ca and Na, but trends suggest early physiological disturbance, with Ca decreasing with exposure to Cd or Zn and increasing with exposure to Cu. During elimination, Ca levels were higher in Cu-exposed copepods than in Cd-exposed ones and similar to controls, suggesting that Cd competes with Ca at the cellular level.</p>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"110716"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149105118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular insights into physiological impact of micro- and nano-plastics on the digestive system and gut-brain axis","authors":"Yuvika ,&nbsp;Deepansh Sharma ,&nbsp;Ashima Sharma","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110473","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110473","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics (MPs) and Nanoplastics (NPs) represent an alarming and persistent threat to global human health, owing to their resilience and ubiquity in the environment. Ingestion via contaminated food and water is the primary exposure route, resulting in the accumulation of MNPs in key organs such as the gastrointestinal tract (GI), liver, and pancreas, highlighting the urgent need to understand their potential cumulative and systemic effects. This review critically evaluates recent molecular-level insights into the physiological impacts of MNPs, with particular emphasis on the GI system and the intricate gut-brain axis.</div><div>MNPs induce cellular toxicity through oxidative stress (OS) and mitochondrial dysfunction, which activate inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. Accumulation in the GI tract causes gut microbiota dysbiosis and a compromised intestinal barrier, and translocates systemically to the liver and pancreas, leading to hepatotoxicity, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation.</div><div>Crucially, the disruption of the gut barrier facilitates MNPs access to the central nervous system (CNS) via the gut-brain axis, leading to a breach of the Blood-Brain Barrier. CNS-accumulated MNPs induce neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity, accelerating neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and multiple sclerosis.</div><div>This review elucidates the complex mechanisms and highlights significant gaps in understanding MNPs risks, which are currently limited by the use of short-term animal and in vitro models, as well as a lack of precise human data. Future research should prioritize the development of standardized quantification techniques and advanced tracking methods to accurately assess the biodistribution, metabolism, and long-term health effects of MNPs. This approach will facilitate the development of targeted therapeutic interventions and preventive measures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 110473"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146194223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence for potential critical windows of immune development in the marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)","authors":"Elizabeth DiBona ,&nbsp;Yuan Lu ,&nbsp;Justin Elliot ,&nbsp;Remi Labeille ,&nbsp;Hussain Abdulla ,&nbsp;Frauke Seemann","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110459","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110459","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis suggests that environmental exposures during early immune development may trigger long-term immune pathologies. However, the timing of sensitive developmental windows in the innate immune system of vertebrates remains poorly defined. Here, we propose the marine medaka fish (<em>Oryzias melastigma</em>) as a model organism to define a molecular timeline for innate immune system maturation. To identify critical windows of immune development, we assessed both organismal resistance to bacterial infection and molecular markers of immune gene expression across developmental stages. Immune competence evaluation in embryos and larvae revealed distinct windows of vulnerability to bacterial challenge, suggesting dynamic immune regulation. 17α-Ethinylestradiol (EE2), a potent synthetic estrogen is known to affect both reproductive and immune function. Embryos and larvae were exposed to EE2 during three key periods (7–11 days post fertilization (dpf), 3–5 days post hatching (dph), and 12–19 dph) and subsequently challenged with a bacterial pathogen. EE2 exposure during the embryonic (7–11 dpf) and later larval (12–19 dph) periods significantly reduced pathogen resistance in a non-monotonic dose response manner, altered the expression of immune-related genes involved in protein synthesis and ribosome biogenesis and modified energy and amino acid metabolism. Altogether, this study underscores the importance of identifying sensitive periods in immune development when evaluating environmental risks and support the use of marine medaka as a relevant model for developmental immunotoxicity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 110459"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146092340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linking metabolic state to carbamazepine accumulation in Arctic benthic invertebrates","authors":"Dagmara Leszczyńska ,&nbsp;Mikołaj Mazurkiewicz ,&nbsp;Adam Sokołowski ,&nbsp;Katarzyna Smolarz ,&nbsp;Maria Włodarska-Kowalczuk ,&nbsp;Joanna Legeżyńska ,&nbsp;Kajetan Deja ,&nbsp;Aleksandra Bieżuńska ,&nbsp;Natalia Kilijan ,&nbsp;Julia Lisowska ,&nbsp;Marcin Lipiński ,&nbsp;Anna Hallmann","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110489","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pharmaceutical pollutants, such as carbamazepine (CBZ), are increasingly detected in polar marine ecosystems, raising concerns about their bioaccumulation and impact on resident fauna. This study investigated the presence of CBZ and metabolic alterations in two Arctic macrobenthic invertebrates: the suspension-feeding bivalve <em>Ciliatocardium ciliatum</em> and the predatory starfish <em>Urasterias lincki</em>, collected from two fjords of the Svalbard archipelago: Hornsund (77°N) and Kongsfjorden (79°N). Using LC-MS/MS, CBZ was detected exclusively in <em>U. lincki</em> tissues (0.14 ng/g wet weight), while it was absent in <em>C. ciliatum</em>, suggesting species-specific differences in bioaccumulation potential. Importantly, <em>U. lincki</em> exhibited significantly higher tissue lipid content (mainly cholesterol), approximately twice that of bivalves, which likely facilitated the accumulation of lipophilic compounds such as CBZ. Comprehensive metabolic profiling revealed that <em>U. lincki</em> also exhibited higher levels of ATP, glycogen, glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity, indicating a more active oxidative metabolism. In contrast, <em>C. ciliatum</em> showed signatures of metabolic downregulation, including elevated succinate, malate, and purine degradation products, suggesting a reliance on anaerobic pathways and limited detoxification capacity. These findings underscore the role of feeding strategy, lipid content, and oxidative stress regulation in shaping pharmaceutical accumulation in Arctic benthic fauna and highlight the vulnerability of cold-adapted organisms to persistent emerging pollutants in polar ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 110489"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146218952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predator-induced shifts in energy metabolism: Anaerobic activation in juvenile sea cucumbers","authors":"Jiamei Pan,&nbsp;Xiaojuan Xu,&nbsp;Haiqing Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110491","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2026.110491","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sea cucumber <em>Stichopus monotuberculatus</em> serves as a primary species for benthic ecological restoration in southern China, and has significant economic value. However, pressure from their predators remains a critical factor constraining their survival rates during stocking in marine ranching. To study the effect of fear from predator, the physiological responses of <em>S. monotuberculatus</em> to different risk cues were evaluated: cues from crab <em>Portunus pelagicus</em> group (PPG), same-species injury group (SSIG), and different-species injury group (DSIG). Results showed under PPG treatment, oxygen consumption initially decreased but surged upon repeated exposure, indicating an adjustment to acute stress. Injury cues from sea cucumbers (conspecific, SSIG and heterospecific, DSIG) resulted in metabolic peaks at 6 h and 12 h respectively. At the 6 h time point, DSIG elicited higher ammonia excretion and a markedly elevated O:N ratio, reflecting a major shift in metabolic pathways toward non-protein energy substrates. Under exposure to PPG, ATP levels surged 20-fold at 1 h, reaching 14,353.81 ± 1308.36 μmol·gprot⁻¹. Meanwhile, the activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and hexokinase (HK) significantly increased, while pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity decreased, which indicated that anaerobic metabolism dominates during acute stress from predator crab. Under DSIG treatment, PDH and HK activities first increased and then decreased, accompanied by slower ATP recovery than PPG treatment, which reflects the adjustment of aerobic metabolism in response to heterospecific injury cues. This study reveals that <em>S. monotuberculatus</em> dynamically modulates its metabolic physiology in response to varying predation risks, employing acute anaerobic responses under crab threats and shifting toward aerobic metabolic reorganization under heterospecific injury cues. These findings enhance our understanding of how juvenile sea cucumbers adjusted physiologically to predation pressure, providing a theoretical basis for development of predator stress modification strategies for its bottom sowing and stock enhancement practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 110491"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146218965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}