Aquatic Toxicology最新文献

{"title":"Damages of aged-PVC microplastics exceed the enhanced resistance of chlorella pyrenoidosa induced by phosphorus limitation","authors":"Xiao Tan ,&nbsp;Lv Wang ,&nbsp;Chao Xing ,&nbsp;Zhipeng Duan ,&nbsp;Jia Liang ,&nbsp;Rui Zhu ,&nbsp;Jiang Huang ,&nbsp;Shichao Chen ,&nbsp;Yijia Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107715","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107715","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phytoplankton could adapt to multiple natural stresses. However, few have explicitly explored their complex adaptation patterns to emerging chemical contaminants (ECCs), such as microplastics (MPs), under nutrient-limited conditions. Here, we experimentally investigated the patterns of <em>Chlorella pyrenoidosa</em> responding to aged polyvinyl chloride (aged-PVC) and their leachate with a series of concentrations (0–20 mg/L) under phosphorus (P) repletion conditions (7.14 mg P/L) and P limitation conditions (0.1 mg P/L). Results revealed that <em>C. pyrenoidosa</em> displayed comparable patterns in response to aged-PVC treatments, regardless of P availability, showing significant decreases in growth rate but increases in photosynthetic efficiency (1.7%-39.6%), and the early-stage growth stimulation (day 2–14) may be attributed to the leachate. Moreover, cells of <em>C. pyrenoidosa</em> under both P availability elevated their cellular P quotas at the stationary phase under the low aged-PVC concentration (0.1 mg/L). These are significantly inconsistent with the responses of phytoplankton to multiple natural stresses, where phytoplankton typically enhance their resistance to environmental stresses under nutrient-limited conditions. This can be attributed to the stronger chemical toxicity of aged-PVC on enzymes and physical damage to the cell membrane. These findings suggest that cellular adaptive mechanisms of phytoplankton to natural stresses may fail against chemical contaminants, therefore providing crucial insights into the threshold dynamics of ecosystem resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107715"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Quantitative prediction of zebrafish reproductive impairment via androgen receptor-driven adverse outcome pathway","authors":"Xuan Liu ,&nbsp;Hongxia Yu ,&nbsp;You Song ,&nbsp;Wei Shi ,&nbsp;Hongling Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exogenous androgenic contaminants have long been of concern and are associated with reproductive impairment in fish. Although Toxcast has screened a large number of compounds using <em>in vitro</em> testing, it is challenging to conduct high-throughput tests for complex effects <em>in vivo</em> and to assess apical endpoints such as reproduction further quantitatively. Therefore, we developed a quantitative prediction method for reproductive dysfunction in zebrafish based on the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework. We carried out <em>in vitro</em> androgen activity tests for 16 compounds and a 21-day exposure experiment of androgen receptor (AR) agonism reference chemical 17β-trenbolone (TB) in zebrafish. The results revealed that TB mainly affected the levels of 11-ketotestosterone, estradiol, and vitellogenin in females by mediating AR, and caused abnormal ovarian development and fecundity decline. Then, AOP leading to reproductive dysfunction in female zebrafish (ZqAOP) was assembled and quantified, and it was validated to determine the potential and reliability for chemical extrapolation. Finally, the ZqAOP model was applied for predicting the potential reproductive impairments of eight compounds in environmental concentrations and global surface water samples with AR activity. This study provides a new insight into screening and assessing large numbers of chemicals with potential endocrine-disrupting effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107720"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Chronic sublethal effects of pulsed versus constant pesticide exposures on the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum: Behavioural and biochemical impairments under field-realistic conditions","authors":"Jérémie D. Lebrun ,&nbsp;Sabry El Kouch ,&nbsp;Angéline Guenne ,&nbsp;Julien Tournebize","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>After their application to agricultural soils, pesticides frequently reach surface waters, exposing aquatic organisms to fluctuating concentrations influenced by hydrological conditions. However, the influence of exposure dynamics on biological responses remains poorly investigated. In this study, the non-target amphipod <em>Gammarus fossarum</em> was exposed for four weeks in microcosms to environmentally realistic concentrations of three pesticide classes: the insecticide imidacloprid, the fungicide boscalid, and the herbicide bentazone. Two exposure scenarios were compared: (i) repeated short-term pulses mimicking runoff events and (ii) constant low-level exposures, both time-weighted average concentrations. Biochemical biomarkers (enzymes involved in essential functions and stress responses) and behavioural traits (locomotion, respiration, mating and feeding rate) were monitored to assess sublethal effects at cellular and individual levels. Both exposure regimes elicited changes in behaviour of animals and biochemical pathways. Notably, hyperactivity coupled with increased respiration occurred, with pesticide-specific intensity. Unlike repeated pulses, constant exposures to the insecticide and fungicide exerted more persistent inhibitory effects on feeding. Biochemical analyses revealed pesticide-specific disturbances in digestive metabolism, oxidative stress response, and neuronal activity, and suggested trade-offs in energy allocation under chronic chemical stress. Furthermore, these sublethal responses provide evidence of unintended impacts of these chemicals, even at concentrations compliant with environmental quality standards, to which wildlife is naturally exposed under various hydrological conditions. Since such disruptions in physiology and individual performance in this ecosystem engineer may precede population- and ecosystem-level consequences, our results highlight the need to integrate exposure dynamics and multi-level sublethal endpoints in ecotoxicological risk assessment to improve the protection of aquatic wildlife in agriculturally impacted freshwaters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107736"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146033241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 diazepam exposure induces innate immune toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio)","authors":"Ting Yu ,&nbsp;Xiaoming Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenji Huang ,&nbsp;Yanan Liu ,&nbsp;Sijia Wan ,&nbsp;Jiuru Zhao ,&nbsp;Ling Shao","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107745","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107745","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diazepam (DZP), a benzodiazepine anxiolytic drug and positive allosteric modulator of GABAA receptors, is increasingly detected in aquatic ecosystems. Its rise in environmental prevalence is likely attributable to its expanded clinical use, poorly controlled consumption and insufficient removal during wastewater treatment processes, thereby raising concerns regarding its potential ecological impacts. While previous research has predominantly focused on the neurobehavioral effects of DZP, its immunotoxic effects on aquatic organisms remain poorly characterized. In this study, zebrafish (<em>Danio rerio</em>) embryos were exposed to DZP concentrations ranging from environmentally relevant levels (5 and 10 μg/L) to higher doses (100 and 1000 μg/L) for 120 h post-fertilization. DZP exposure significantly delayed embryo hatching at 48 and 54 h and compromised the pathogen resistance of the resultant larvae against <em>Aeromonas hydrophila</em> infection. Furthermore, DZP disrupted immune homeostasis by altering the activities of key immune-related enzymes and modulating expression profiles of cytokines. Molecular docking analysis identified robust binding interactions between DZP and core proteins within the MAPK signaling pathway, indicating that DZP may suppress inflammatory responses and induce immune dysfunction via MAPK signaling. These findings highlight the immunotoxic potential of DZP during critical developmental stages and warrant further investigation into its ecological impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107745"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Tetracycline toxicity in fish: Recent insights into physiological and health implications","authors":"Dip Mukherjee ,&nbsp;Purandar Sarkar ,&nbsp;Surajit Ghosh ,&nbsp;Ahamadul Hoque Mandal ,&nbsp;Sutapa Sanyal ,&nbsp;Saurabh Chakraborti ,&nbsp;Nimai Chandra Saha ,&nbsp;Paolo Pastorino ,&nbsp;Shubhajit Saha","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107716","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107716","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tetracyclines (TCs), a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics widely used in aquaculture, pose significant risks to fish health because of their environmental persistence and tendency to bioaccumulate in aquatic systems. This review synthesizes the toxic effects of TCs across key fish species (e.g., <em>Danio rerio, Cyprinus carpio</em>). TCs compromises respiratory efficiency via gill lamellar fusion, induces intestinal atrophy and inflammation, and alters hematological profiles, impairing oxygen transport and immune function. Biochemically, it disrupts antioxidant defenses, leading to pervasive oxidative stress. At the molecular level, TCs induces genotoxicity. Early life stages exhibit developmental toxicity (e.g., spinal deformities). Immunologically, TCs suppresses phagocytic activity and cytokine release, heightening infection susceptibility. Furthermore, it interferes with bone mineralization and causes muscle degeneration. Overall, TCs contamination represents a substantial threat to fish health and aquatic food webs, necessitating stricter regulations and improved removal strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107716"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Bioaccumulation and endocrine effects of sediment-derived copper transferred from oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus to fish Danio rerio","authors":"Kaile Huang ,&nbsp;Xin Yan ,&nbsp;Wenji Zhou ,&nbsp;Cheng Lou ,&nbsp;Bo Yan ,&nbsp;Tao Chen ,&nbsp;Fangli Wu ,&nbsp;Wu Dong ,&nbsp;Yongju Luo ,&nbsp;Hongxing Chen ,&nbsp;Lingtian Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dietary route is predominant for metal accumulation in some aquatic organisms, yet the transfer of Cu from sediments to apex species and its endocrine effects on the organisms along the aquatic food chain remain poorly explored. In this study, the oligochaetes (<em>Lumbriculus variegatus</em>) were exposed to Cu-amended sediments at environmentally relevant concentrations (Control: (Cont), 5.0 (Cu-L), 20.0 (Cu-M), and 200.0 (Cu-H) μg Cu/g dw) for 96 h, which were supplied to adult zebrafish (<em>Danio rerio</em>) for 30 d Subcellular distribution of Cu in the L. <em>variegatus</em>, and tissue distribution in the <em>D. rerio</em>, and effects on the two species were evaluated. The results showed Cu was rapidly accumulated in a dose-dependent manner in the L. <em>variegatus</em> with a predominant heat-stable protein (HSP) subcellular fraction (&gt; 40 %). Cu was distributed in all tissues in the <em>D. rerio</em> in a concentration dependent pattern. Cu altered the transcripts of genes related to Cu transporter (<em>ctr1</em> and <em>atp7a</em>) and the levels of metallothionein (MT). Meanwhile, dietary Cu delayed gonadal development, altered the fitness components, affected the hormone levels and key genes modulating fish reproduction. These results have demonstrated that Cu at its environmental concentrations from abiotic environments can readily be transferred along the aquatic food chain and causes adverse endocrine effects on fish. This study suggests incorporation of dietary exposure in the framework of the ecological risk assessment of Cu in aquatic systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107738"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Untargeted lipidomic profiling reveals the effect of hexabromocyclododecane exposure on a branching coral","authors":"Chuan-Ho Tang ,&nbsp;Ting-Ju Liu ,&nbsp;Ching-Yu Lin ,&nbsp;Hsing-Hui Li","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The bioaccessibility of plastic additives to particle feeders substantially increases with the occurrence of microplastics in the ocean, raising concerns about the detriment effects on coral health. In this study, untargeted lipidomics was adopted to identify signs of health risks in coral exposed to hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). A perturbation of lipid metabolism, which primarily showed a dose-dependent variation in polyunsaturated phospholipids (particularly 20:4, 20:5, 22:4 and 22:6-possessing species) due to a feedback effect boosting lipogenesis, was observed in the coral. A decrease in transcription activity affects the lipid biosynthesis, leading to a reduction in lipid oxygenation and peroxidation, which was inferred to be induced by HBCD in the coral. Based on their functions, variations in lipids, particularly ether glycerophosphocholines and vinyl ether glycerophosphoethanoamines, can compromise the physiological health of coral cells. Therefore, HBCD pollution in the ocean poses a potential threat to coral health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107739"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Effects of dietary nanoplastics exposure on muscle quality, immunity, antioxidative capacity and digestive gland function of abalone (Haliotis discus hannai)","authors":"Jiping Zhang ,&nbsp;Qiyuan Fu ,&nbsp;Sisi Cheng ,&nbsp;Hai Ren ,&nbsp;Ye Mu ,&nbsp;Jiahuan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing accumulation of nanoplastics (NPs) in marine environment poses significant ecological and economic risks, particularly for commercially important species such as abalone (<em>Haliotis discus hannai</em>). This study investigated the effects of dietary polystyrene NPs (0,1, 10 and 100 mg/kg) on abalone over a 21-day exposure period, and the groups were designated as control, NPs1, NPs10 and NPs100, respectively. Results demonstrated that NPs impaired antioxidant capacity, as evidenced by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in cell-free hemolymph (1.83-fold higher in the NPs100 group than in control), together with reduced superoxide dismutase activity, decreased total antioxidant capacity, and inhibition of the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. Immune suppression was observed through decreased lysozyme and acid phosphatase activities. Muscle texture deterioration was observed (muscle hardness decreased to 0.42-fold of the control level in NPs100 group), which was associated with reduced protein content, inhibition of the mTOR pathway, and upregulation of proteolytic genes (<em>capn1, capn2, ctsl</em> and <em>ctsb</em>). In the digestive gland, NPs induced lipid accumulation (increased to 1.20-fold of the control level in the NPs100 group), accompanied by suppressed lipolysis-related genes (<em>atgl, hsl, cpt-1</em> and <em>acox</em>) and enhanced lipogenesis-related genes (<em>srebp-1c, acc</em> and <em>scd</em>) expression. Additionally, NPs upregulated inflammation-related genes (<em>myd88, nf-κb, tnf-α</em> and <em>il-17</em>) and apoptosis-related proteins (BAX, CytC and cleaved caspase-3), along with histopathological changes and reduced digestive enzyme activities. These findings indicate that NPs impair abalone health and muscle quality through oxidative stress, metabolic disruption, apoptosis and protein turnover. Primary adverse effects were mainly observed at ≥10 mg/kg after 21 days, with the most pronounced responses at 100 mg/kg. The mTOR, NF-κB, and Bax/caspase-3 signaling pathways were the main targets of the biological effects induced by NPs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107740"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Does social isolation influence metabolism, copper accumulation, and thermal tolerance in a temperate fish?","authors":"Sienna L. Overduin ,&nbsp;Michael R. Skeeles ,&nbsp;Tommy Norin ,&nbsp;Timothy D. Clark ,&nbsp;Hanna Scheuffele ,&nbsp;Jeremy De Bonville ,&nbsp;Robert A. Griffin ,&nbsp;Jenna Maccagno ,&nbsp;Daniel S. Alessi ,&nbsp;Fredrik Jutfelt ,&nbsp;Tamzin A. Blewett","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107733","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107733","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Group living, exemplified by shoaling fish, offers individuals physiological benefits including reduced stress responses (social buffering) and metabolism (the calming effect). These physiological benefits may have implications on toxicant accumulation in an aquatic environment. However, limited data exist on whether a social pair is sufficiently social to provide these benefits when compared to social isolation. We sought to investigate whether isolated and paired wild-caught anadromous threespine stickleback (<em>Gasterosteus aculeatus</em>) had different metabolic demands (oxygen uptake rate; <em>Ṁ</em>O₂) and if <em>Ṁ</em>O₂ drove accumulation of waterborne Cu, and whether these factors influenced the fish’s acute thermal tolerance (CT_max). Social isolation was hypothesized to elicit stress, increasing oxygen uptake and subsequent branchial accumulation of Cu, which in turn was predicted to limit the fish’s CT_max. Oxygen demand at the gills was not affected by Cu exposure nor social context. Despite this, isolated fish had on average 87% and 61% more Cu in their gill and intestinal tissue, respectively, compared to paired fish. This suggests that metabolism did not drive the observed socially mediated difference in tissue Cu burden. Rather the elevated tissue Cu may be endogenous, as increased Cu was also present in tissues of isolated fish that were not exposed to Cu. CT_max was marginally but significantly reduced to 32.9 °C (from 33.1° C) in fish that were exposed to Cu, though this is likely not biologically relevant. This study unearths interactions between social context and metal burden post-exposure, paving the way for future work examining sociality and toxicology in fish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107733"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 mechanism of selenomethionine alleviating fluoride-induced brain injury in carp by regulating mitochondrial dynamics, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation: Integrated analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics","authors":"Wenjie Wang ,&nbsp;Mengyan Xu ,&nbsp;Yongju Luo ,&nbsp;Wenxuan Wang ,&nbsp;Lijing He ,&nbsp;Qianxi Han ,&nbsp;Bo Liu ,&nbsp;Lijuan Li ,&nbsp;Jianjie Chen ,&nbsp;Jinling Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study was designed to clarify the protective effect of selenomethionine (Se-Met) and the underlying molecular mechanism on brain injury induced by fluoride (F) in carp. Using carp as the model organism, F injury model and Se-Met intervention models were established. Physiological and biochemical indicators (antioxidant enzyme activities, ATP synthesis efficiency, etc.), molecular biological analysis (apoptosis- and inflammation- related gene expression) and as well as transcriptomics and metabolomics technology were integrated to comprehensively investigate the pathological process of F-induced brain injury and the protective mechanism of Se-Met. The results showed that F significantly activated the <em>NF-κB</em> signaling pathway, induced mitochondrial dynamics imbalance (<em>DRP1</em> up-regulation/<em>MFN1</em> down-regulation), oxidative stress (decreased activities of GSH, SOD; increased MDA) and neuroinflammation (up-regulation of <em>IL-1β, TNF-α;</em> down-regulation of <em>IL-10</em>), eventually leading to neuronal apoptosis and behavioral disorders. Se-Met intervention effectively reversed these toxic effects through multiple pathways, specifically by restoring antioxidant enzyme activities (T-SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, GSH); Se-Met up-regulated the expression of anti-apoptotic gene <em>Bcl-2</em> and down-regulated the expression of pro-apoptotic genes <em>Bax</em> and <em>caspase-3</em> to inhibit neuronal apoptosis; Se-Met inhibited <em>NLRP3</em> inflammasome activation and reduced the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (<em>TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-1α, IL-10, TGF-β</em>); Se-Met balanced mitochondrial dynamics protein (<em>DRP1</em>/<em>MFN1</em>) expression and restored mitochondrial function (ATP and membrane potential recovery); Se-Met reversed abnormal expression of neuropeptides (<em>GnRH-II, vip, PDYN</em>). The integrated analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics further revealed that Se-Met exerted neuroprotective effects by regulating calcium signaling pathway, arachidonic acid metabolism and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway. However, long-term exposure to Se-Met alone may also cause mild toxicity, indicating that its application requires strict control of dosage and exposure duration. This study elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which Se-Met mitigates F neurotoxicity and provides a theoretical basis for aquatic ecological risk assessment and selenium nutrition intervention strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":248,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Toxicology","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107722"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}