Effect of disruption in intestinal barrier function during transgenerational process on nanoplastic toxicity induction in Caenorhabditis elegans

After exposure at parental generation (P0-G), nanoplastics can induce transgenerational toxicity. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether change in intestinal barrier function during transgenerational process affects the induction of nanoplastic toxicity. In the current study, polystyrene nanoparticle (PS-NP) was used as an example of nanoplastics. PS-NP (1 and 10 μg/L) caused transgenerational toxicity on locomotion behavior, brood size, and intestinal permeability. After exposure to PS-NP (1 and 10 μg/L) at P0-G, PS-NP accumulation was only observed at both P0-G and F1-G. RNA interference (RNAi) of acs-22 caused enhanced intestinal permeability, and PS-NP (10 μg/L) induced suppression in acs-22 expression from P0-G to F3-G. After RNAi of acs-22 at P0-G and F1-G, transgenerational toxicity of PS-NP (10 μg/L) was prolonged by more than two generations, and transgenerational PS-NP accumulation was prolonged till to F2-G. After RNAi of acs-22 at F2-G, transgenerational toxicity of PS-NP (10 μg/L) could be extended by more than two generations. Moreover, RNAi of acs-22 at F4-G caused extension of transgenerational PS-NP (10 μg/L) toxicity till to F5-G. Therefore, transgenerational toxicity of nanoplastics can be affected by disrupted intestinal barrier function induced by acs-22 RNAi during transgenerational process in organisms.