Neurotoxicity of Amino-modified Polystyrene and Its Mechanisms in Caenorhabditis elegans
Polystyrene microplastics(PS)are widespread across various environmental media and pose potential toxic risks.However,the neurotoxicity and mechanisms of amino-modified PS(PS-NH2)remain poorly under-stood.In this study,Caenorhabditis elegans was used as a model organism to evaluate the neurotoxic effects of en-vironmentally relevant concentrations(0.1-100 μg·L-1)of PS and PS-NH2 through endpoints including locomo-tion behavior,neuronal development,neurotransmitter levels,and gene expression.Results showed that acute expo-sure to 1 μg·L-1 of PS-NH2 significantly reduced head thrashing and body bending frequency in C.elegans,indi-eating enhanced neurotoxicity compared to PS.At doses of 10-100 μg·L-1,PS-NH2 exposure significantly altered the fluorescence intensity of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons,and the levels of neurotransmitters,such as dopamine and serotonin,were notably decreased.Additionally,PS-NH2 exposure significantly decreased the expres-sion of neurotransmission-related genes,including dop-1,dat-1,and tph-1.These findings suggest that PS-NH2 causes damage to dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons,potentially disrupting dopamine and serotonin neuro-transmission and exerting neurotoxic effects on Caenorhabditis elegans.This study provides new insights into the potential risks and underlying mechanisms of modified microplastics in environmental systems.
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