Ion transport and metabolic regulation induced by nanoplastic toxicity in gill of Litopenaeus vannamei using proteomics

Polystyrene nanoplastic (PS-NP) pollution has become a global environmental problem, and its potential toxicity to aquatic organisms has led to widespread concern. In this study, a 28-day chronic nanoplastic exposure (0, 0.1, 1, 5, and 10 mg L⁻¹) experiment was established to investigate the effects of ion transport and metabolic regulation in Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. The results showed that the ion content in gill tissues decreased and the ATPase activities significantly decreased with the increase in PS-NP concentration. PS-NP exposure destroyed the gill tissue structure, disrupted the activity of ion transport enzymes, and affected the glutathione metabolism. The blood urea nitrogen, glutamate, and proline contents first increased and then decreased with the increase in PS-NP concentration. The expression of nitric oxide synthase and thioredoxin genes involved in energy metabolism decreased. The urea nitrogen content was negatively correlated with the ion transport module, and the proline content was positively correlated with the ion transport module and gene expression. Proteomic analysis results showed that PS-NP exposure mainly affected the amino acid biosynthesis and mTOR signaling pathway. These results suggested that PS-NP exposure negatively affected the physiological state of L. vannamei by interfering with the urea cycle and glutathione metabolism via inhibition of ion transport.