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

Abstract

After exposure at the parental generation (P0-G), nanoplastics can induce transgenerational toxicity. However, it remains unclear whether changes in intestinal barrier function during the transgenerational process affect the induction of nanoplastic toxicity. In this study, polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) were used as a representative nanoplastic. Exposure to PS-NPs (1 and 10 μg L⁻¹) caused transgenerational toxicity, impacting locomotion behavior, brood size, and intestinal permeability. After exposure to PS-NPs (1 and 10 μg L⁻¹) at P0-G, PS-NP accumulation was only observed at both P0-G and F1-G. RNA interference (RNAi) of acs-22 resulted in enhanced intestinal permeability, and exposure to PS-NPs (10 μg L⁻¹) led to suppressed 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⁻¹) was prolonged by more than two generations, while PS-NP accumulation persisted until F2-G. After RNAi of acs-22 at F2-G, transgenerational toxicity of PS-NP (10 μg L⁻¹) could be extended by more than two generations. Moreover, RNAi of acs-22 at F4-G prolonged transgenerational PS-NP (10 μg L⁻¹) toxicity until F5-G. These findings indicate that transgenerational nanoplastic toxicity can be influenced by intestinal barrier dysfunction induced by acs-22 RNAi during the transgenerational process in organisms.