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

{"title":"Parental exposure to CdSe/ZnS QDs affects otolith development and locomotor behavior in rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) offspring","authors":"Weiwei Xie ,&nbsp;Qiaoqiao Zhang ,&nbsp;Li Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantum dots (QDs) influence otolith development and locomotor behavior, although the underlying mechanism remain unclear. This study evaluated the toxicity of CdSe/ZnS QDs on otolith development and locomotor behavior in the next generation (F1) using rare minnows (<em>Gobiocypris rarus</em>) as model organisms. The sexually mature parents of rare minnows (F0) were exposed to varying concentrations of CdSe/ZnS QDs (0, 100, 200, 400 and 800 nmol/L) for four days, after which embryos were collected through artificial insemination. The results indicated that exposure to varying concentrations of QDs inhibited the growth of utricular and saccular otoliths in F1 larvae, evidenced by a decrease in otolith lateral area. Furthermore, an increase in malformations and mortality rate were observed, alongside reductions in swimming speed, movement distance and overall calcium content, ultimately resulting in loss of balance control in F1 larvae. Exposure to CdSe/ZnS QDs also suppressed the transcript expression of the <em>atp2b1a</em>, <em>stm</em> and <em>sparc</em> genes, while promoting the transcription of <em>cahz</em>, <em>ecac</em> and <em>omp1</em> genes. Notably, the adverse effects of CdSe/ZnS QDs on otolith growth and swimming behavior could be mitigated by supplementing Ca²⁺ in the environment. Following calcium supplementation, the damage to otolith development in larvae was alleviated to some extent, and locomotor behavior returned to normal. Overall, the results suggest that CdSe/ZnS QDs can adversely affect otolith development and locomotor behavior in F1 larvae of rare minnows at both individual and molecular levels, ultimately leading to impaired swimming abilities and balance control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 110360"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145124301","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":"Developmental toxicity of functionalized polystyrene microplastics and their inhibitory effects on fin regeneration in zebrafish","authors":"Qian Li ,&nbsp;Wenjing Cheng ,&nbsp;Hongyu Wang ,&nbsp;Jun Chen ,&nbsp;Yueyun Qin ,&nbsp;Ruozhu Sheng ,&nbsp;Shaohong Peng ,&nbsp;Zaitian Li ,&nbsp;Tao Lu ,&nbsp;Liwei Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110358","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110358","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hazardous effects of microplastics on aquatic biota have been extensively documented. However, the impact of surface functionalization on the toxicological profiles of microplastics, particularly in fish, requires further investigation. In the present study, the effects of polystyrene microplastics (50–100 nm in diameter), either non-functionalized or functionalized with carboxyl (-COOH) or amino (−NH₂) groups, on zebrafish were explored. Exposure to all three types of microplastics (0.1, 1, and 10 mg/L) resulted in developmental toxicity in zebrafish at early life stages. This included increased mortality, reduced larval body length, decreased heart rate, impaired swimming ability, as well as disruptions in redox homeostasis, nervous system development, and immune responses. Moreover, all types of microplastics (1 mg/L) inhibited the regenerative capacity of larval zebrafish after caudal fin amputation, both morphologically and functionally. This inhibition was likely due to alterations in immune response, excessive production of reactive oxygen species, and disruptions in the signaling networks that regulate fin regeneration. Among the tested microplastics, amino-modified particles generally exhibited greater developmental toxicity and stronger inhibitory effects on fin regeneration. Our findings confirm that the functionalization of microplastics plays a crucial role in their interactions with biological systems and highlight concerns regarding the potential effects of functionalization, whether intentional or resulting from natural weathering processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 110358"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145112154","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":"The plastic threat to marine gastropods: Oxidative stress, energy metabolism and impaired recovery in juvenile abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) exposed to polystyrene microplastics","authors":"Chaoyi Xie ,&nbsp;Hongce Song ,&nbsp;Junjie Li ,&nbsp;Shuai Xu ,&nbsp;Liqun Ren ,&nbsp;Chunnuan Zhao ,&nbsp;Yuping Wu ,&nbsp;Xiaotong Wang ,&nbsp;Biao Wu ,&nbsp;Shubao Zhang ,&nbsp;Haiying Han ,&nbsp;Tao Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110361","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110361","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastic (MP) pollution challenges marine ecosystems, with gastropods like <em>Haliotis discus hannai</em> being potentially vulnerable. However, the reversibility of MP-induced physiological damage in gastropods remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs; 0, 100, and 1000 μg/L) on <em>H. discus hannai</em> in a 14-day exposure followed by a 7-day recovery experimental design. The analysis focused on antioxidant status, energy metabolism, and immune pathways. Results showed dose-dependent oxidative stress during PS-MPs exposure, indicated by significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) elevated antioxidant enzyme activities (Superoxide dismutase, Catalase and Glutathione peroxidase), which decreased but did not normalize during recovery. Exposure to a low concentration of PS-MPs (100 μg/L) resulted in metabolic adjustments consistent with homeostatic maintenance, whereas a high concentration (1000 μg/L) significantly increased lactate dehydrogenase and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activities, suggesting metabolic disruption. These energy metabolism alterations persisted, showing incomplete recovery. Immune pathway analysis revealed minimal changes at low PS-MPs concentrations but significant enrichment of pathways like IL-17 and Fc-Epsilon-RI signaling at high concentrations during exposure. Notably, sustained activation of immune pathways, including NOD-like receptor, Toll-like receptor, and IL-17 signaling (particularly in the high-concentration group), persisted during recovery, potentially indicating prolonged cellular stress or links to apoptosis. Furthermore, Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR) analysis confirmed that <em>H. discus hannai</em> remained severely impacted even after the recovery period. This study provides crucial evidence on the complex toxicodynamics of PS-MPs in <em>H. discus hannai</em>, highlighting incomplete physiological recovery and significant damage during the recovery period following exposure, especially at high concentrations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 110361"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145106964","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":"Effect of environmentally relevant concentrations of estrogens on the fear-like response of male zebrafish","authors":"Ying-Ying Zhang,&nbsp;Ru-Yi Tan,&nbsp;Hong Tao,&nbsp;Qi-Liang Chen,&nbsp;Yan-Jun Shen,&nbsp;Zhi-Hao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental estrogens (EEs), diversely and widely distributed, are established to affect fish behaviour. However, information on the effects of EEs mixtures at environmentally relevant concentrations on fish fear-like responses is currently limited. In this study, adult male zebrafish were exposed to MIX (EEs mixtures at environmental concentrations: BPA, 250 ng/L; 4-NP, 62.2 ng/L; E1, 4.56 ng/L; E2, 5.53 ng/L; E3, 39.6 ng/L), as well as to EE2-low (5.55 ng/L, with oestrogenic potency equivalent to that of MIX) and EE2-high (11.1 ng/L) for 60 days. After exposure, fear-like response was evaluated using a novel tank diving test with alarm substance (AS) stimulation. Our data revealed that only MIX significantly delayed the onset time to upper layer, increased the duration in lower layer and reduced the frequency of entry to upper layer, indicating exacerbated fear-like responses in MIX-exposed fish. Additionally, for the response tests, plasma cortisol levels and brain 5-HIAA (5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid) and DOPAC (3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid) levels were elevated while brain serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE) levels were reduced in MIX-fish. Furthermore, significant alterations were also observed in the gene mRNA expression involved in hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis and 5-HT/DA/NEergic systems in brain. These findings suggest that MIX may exacerbate fear-like responses in male zebrafish by disrupting the HPI/cortisol axis and the 5-HT/DA/NEergic pathways, potentially affecting fish population structure and leading to severe ecological consequences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 110354"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145112148","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":"Impact of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline on soil enzyme activities and antibiotic-resistant genes and their removal by earthworms","authors":"Pallavi Mishra ,&nbsp;Dipak Kumar Sahoo ,&nbsp;Shaikhul Islam ,&nbsp;Ashish Patel","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110359","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110359","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotics with a wide range of effectiveness, including ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TET), administered to livestock and poultry for the treatment of bacterial diseases, are poorly absorbed and excreted into the environment as parent compounds or as active metabolites. The residual antibiotics strongly bind to soil components, facilitating the spread of bacteria and genes resistant to antibiotics in the surrounding ecosystem. Consequently, this process gradually alters the rhizobacterial population dynamics due to antibiotic pollution-induced selective pressure. Biodegradation constitutes a primary mechanism for antibiotic removal. Earthworms remediate organic contaminants by enhancing microbial and enzymatic activities in the gastrointestinal tract and contaminant-bearing soil substrates. Previous research has demonstrated that earthworms can accelerate soil organic compound deterioration. Nonetheless, their efficacy in eliminating antibiotic contamination by altering the antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) abundance remains an enigmatic scientific terrain. We have employed the chromatographic approaches, genomics, enzyme assays, and qRT-PCR to decipher the intricate mechanisms of the earthworm-mediated alteration of the ARGs abundance in antibiotic-amended soil. Ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TET) removal was significantly higher in antibiotic-treated soil inoculated with earthworms than in soil without. Earthworms induced a paradigm shift in the soil bacterial composition, with an increased relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreased Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. The soil enzyme activities were significantly reduced in CIP/TET amended soil, which was successfully balanced when administered with earthworms. Earthworms alleviated the abundances of <em>qnrA</em>, <em>qnrS</em>, <em>tet</em>(M), <em>tet</em>(O), <em>tet</em>(A), and <em>tet</em>(Q) genes in CIP and TET amended soil, respectively. Furthermore, the application of earthworm treatments led to a reduction in integron 1 and 2, potentially diminishing the risk associated with the horizontal transmission of ARGs. Therefore, it is speculated that earthworms might mitigate the deleterious effects of the antibiotic contamination in soil by removing CIP/TET and ARGs. This may ultimately recuperate rhizomicrobiome activity by changing the bacterial community structure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 110359"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145112327","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":"Polystyrene microplastics alter the toxicity of 6PPD to zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae","authors":"Yuexing Zhao ,&nbsp;Weitao Liu ,&nbsp;Jianfeng Feng ,&nbsp;Ning Gao ,&nbsp;Jinzheng Liu ,&nbsp;Ruiying Shi ,&nbsp;Aurang Zeb ,&nbsp;Jianling Wang ,&nbsp;Qi Wang ,&nbsp;Chuan Yin ,&nbsp;Xinwei Shi ,&nbsp;Xiang Li ,&nbsp;Yichen Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tire wear particles (TWPs) are a significant source of microplastics (MPs) and <em>N</em>-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-<em>N</em>′-phenyl-<em>p</em>-phenylenediamine (6PPD) in aquatic environments. However, the combined toxicity of MPs and 6PPD to aquatic organisms remains unclear. Here, we investigated the bioaccumulation of 6PPD, developmental toxicity, oxidative stress, and metabolic alterations in zebrafish larvae following single and combined exposure to polystyrene MPs (PSMPs) and 6PPD. Our results indicated that co-exposure to PSMPs and 6PPD induced synergistic toxicity in zebrafish larvae, significantly elevating levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), along with enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities. PSMPs did not influence the bioaccumulation of 6PPD, but increased the concentration of 6PPD quinone (6PPD-Q) in zebrafish larvae. PSMPs and 6PPD altered the metabolomic profiles of zebrafish larvae, affecting organic acids and their derivatives, amino acids and carbohydrates.</div><div>The primary distinctions between single and combined exposures were observed in organic acids (citric acid and 9-Octadecenoic acid), sugars (D-Allose, D-Arabinose, and d-Mannose), and cholesterol. These findings imply PSMPs alter the toxicity of 6PPD to zebrafish larvae, providing valuable data for assessing the potential risks of single and combined pollution of MPs and 6PPD to aquatic creatures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 110356"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145074613","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":"Neuroprotective effect of ferulic acid in valproic acid induced autism like behaviour in zebrafish via modulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.","authors":"Dhrita Chatterjee, Shamsher Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110347","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Valproic acid (VPA), a widely used antiepileptic and mood stabilizing drug, is known to induce autism-like features when administered during neurodevelopment. Recent evidence suggests that VPA exposure during adulthood may also elicit autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like features by altering key signalling pathways, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K-AKT-mTOR), and cause behavioural and neuromorphological deficits. The study explored the neuroprotective properties of ferulic acid (FA) in VPA-induced cognitive and behavioural impairments. Zebrafish were exposed to VPA at 500 μM for four consecutive days to induce ASD-like features. After 4 days of VPA exposure, they were treated with FA (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) and risperidone (0.5 mg/kg) for 4 days. Behavioural (T-maze, Novel Tank Driving Test (NTDT), and social interaction), biochemical (oxidative markers), molecular changes (PI3K, mTOR by ELISA, and AKT by immunohistochemistry), and histopathological analyses were performed to confirm the neuroprotective properties of ferulic acid (FA). VPA (500 μM) exposure significantly deteriorated behavioural and molecular alteration levels (p < 0.001 vs. normal control group) in zebrafish. However, FA (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly improved cognitive and behavioural alterations, as well as oxidative marker and neurotransmitter levels (p < 0.05 vs. VPA group) in zebrafish. Treatment also improved histopathological changes and AKT levels (p < 0.001 vs. the VPA group) in zebrafish. Our results demonstrated that the therapeutic effect of FA in VPA induced autism like symptoms in zebrafish was mediated by its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties through modulation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, offering a promising therapeutic strategy for ASD-like symptoms.</p>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"110347"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145074658","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":"Morphological, behavioral, and molecular neurotoxicity of octocrylene in zebrafish larvae","authors":"Sihan Hou ,&nbsp;Daoyuan Qin ,&nbsp;Daoxi Lei ,&nbsp;Qin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Octocrylene (OC), a prevalent ultraviolet (UV) filter in sunscreens, is frequently detected in soils, sediments, aquatic systems, and food chains, making it an emerging contaminant. Although evidence suggests OC impairs zebrafish larval development, its neurotoxic effects remain incompletely understood. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to OC (0–30 μM) to assess impacts on early neurodevelopment. The results showed that exposure to 30 μM OC reduced the hatching rate of zebrafish and decreased their heart rate at 48 hpf. OC concentrations above 10 μM increased the body length of zebrafish larvae. Moreover, OC exposure significantly reduced various types of neural cells, including neural stem cells, neural progenitor cells, neurons, and glial cells, and led to behavioral abnormalities. Mechanistically, transcriptomic profiling revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the process of activating apoptosis. Concentration-dependent increases in acridine orange (AO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) staining confirmed apoptosis in brain tissues. Further analysis suggested that OC-induced neurotoxicity may be mediated by dysregulation of the MDM2-p53 signaling axis. These findings elucidate previously unrecognized mechanisms of OC neurotoxicity, providing critical insights for environmental risk assessment of UV filters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 110355"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145069229","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":"Inhibitory effects of isobavachalcone against Tetrahymena thermophila: Mechanistic insights","authors":"Hongming Tang ,&nbsp;Juan Liu ,&nbsp;Dong Sheng ,&nbsp;Xu Ren ,&nbsp;Qinghua Yu ,&nbsp;Zhixin Guo ,&nbsp;Yunpeng Wu ,&nbsp;Yuxiao Liu ,&nbsp;Yuehan Xiao ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Shigen Ye ,&nbsp;Weijia Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Isobavachalcone (IBC), a bioactive flavonoid derived from <em>Psoralea corylifolia</em>, exhibits potent anti-ciliate activity, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. Utilizing <em>Tetrahymena thermophila</em> as a model organism, we demonstrated that IBC induces dose-dependent mortality (12 h-IC₅₀: 1.39 mg/L) and inhibits growth. Mechanistically, IBC triggers oxidative stress by elevating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and disrupting antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione (GSH). This disruption leads to membrane damage, as evidenced by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and ATPase inhibition, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. Microscopic examination and staining confirmed that cell death occurs via necrotic cell death rather than apoptosis. Transcriptome analysis revealed key pathways, including peroxisome-mediated oxidation, glutathione metabolism, and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, further supporting the role of IBC in oxidative and structural disruption. These findings elucidate the anti-ciliate mechanism of IBC, providing valuable insights for developing targeted anti-parasitic agents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 110352"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145069283","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":"Unveiling excessive feed-sources copper-induced ileitis in chickens: Insights into tight junction damage and ROS/NLRP3/pyroptosis axis","authors":"Boran Zhou ,&nbsp;Yufei Cao ,&nbsp;Yingxue Zhang,&nbsp;Mingwei Xing,&nbsp;Yu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copper, widely used as a growth promoter and antibacterial agent, is commonly added to livestock and poultry feed. However, this widespread use leads to its accumulation in the animals' bodies, resulting in intestinal toxicity. The specific mechanisms of copper-induced ileitis in broilers remain unclear. In this study, broilers were fed diets containing 0, 100, or 300 mg/kg CuSO₄ over a five-week period. Results showed that the high‑copper group (300 mg/kg) exhibited significant suppression of antioxidant defenses, including reduced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(<em>P</em>)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), total superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels, while catalase (CAT) activity was paradoxically elevated. Notably, NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome complex activation (NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD [ASC], Caspase-1) and upregulated pyroptosis markers (Caspase-1, interleukin-1β [IL-1β]) indicated reactive oxygen species (ROS)–NLRP3 axis involvement. Concurrently, pro-inflammatory mediators (interleukin-7 [IL-7], interleukin-17 [IL-17], inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS], tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]) were dysregulated, accompanied by diminished expression of tight junction proteins (zonula occludens-1 [ZO-1], Claudin-3, Occludin) and inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These findings demonstrate that copper-induced intestinal inflammation and pyroptosis are driven by ROS–NLRP3 axis activation, while simultaneously compromising mucosal barrier integrity. This study elucidates critical mechanisms of copper toxicity in broilers and highlights risks associated with excessive copper exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10602,"journal":{"name":"Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C-toxicology & Pharmacology","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 110357"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145069278","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}