Perfluorooctanoic acid accumulation in honeybee tissues and its impact on the immune system and gut microbiota
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is not only a pressing environmental concern in oceans, but also in terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about its potential impacts on pollinators. Here, we evaluated the physical and biological effects of different concentrations of PFOA (0.1 and 1 mg/L) o...
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590182625000931 |
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| author | Li Lei Changyu Li Ge Zhang Ying Wang Hongfang Wang Baohua Xu |
| author_facet | Li Lei Changyu Li Ge Zhang Ying Wang Hongfang Wang Baohua Xu |
| author_sort | Li Lei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is not only a pressing environmental concern in oceans, but also in terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about its potential impacts on pollinators. Here, we evaluated the physical and biological effects of different concentrations of PFOA (0.1 and 1 mg/L) on Apis cerana cerana. Exposure to PFOA reduced survival rate and body weight, with preferential gut enrichment. Histopathology revealed that PFOA caused thinning of the midgut wall, damage to the peritrophic membrane, and degradation of the basement membrane. Activities of enzymes in midgut, including amylase, protease, and lipase, were inhibited. Mechanistic studies indicated that PFOA induced intestinal cell apoptosis by up-regulating the expression of Caspase-3/8 gene and accumulating reactive oxygen species. Meanwhile, PFOA inhibited honeybees' detoxification genes, antioxidant and antimicrobial peptide genes, and affected the activities of key enzymes. Additionally, PFOA altered gut microbiota structure, decreasing Lactobacillus abundance and enriching Snodgrassella and Gilliamella, with down-regulated energy-related pathways. This study reveals that PFOA exerts its toxicity through multiple ways, including gut damage, immune suppression and disruption of microbiota. It provides important evidence for assessing the risks of PFOA to pollinators and also shed light on the potential effects of PFOA in terrestrial ecosystems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-adc605d8549d4e61b8fdff1d914633c4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2590-1826 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology |
| spelling | doaj-art-adc605d8549d4e61b8fdff1d914633c42025-08-20T03:12:01ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology2590-18262025-01-0171445145710.1016/j.enceco.2025.06.020Perfluorooctanoic acid accumulation in honeybee tissues and its impact on the immune system and gut microbiotaLi Lei0Changyu Li1Ge Zhang2Ying Wang3Hongfang Wang4Baohua Xu5College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR ChinaSchool of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hydrosciences Department, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China; Corresponding author.Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is not only a pressing environmental concern in oceans, but also in terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about its potential impacts on pollinators. Here, we evaluated the physical and biological effects of different concentrations of PFOA (0.1 and 1 mg/L) on Apis cerana cerana. Exposure to PFOA reduced survival rate and body weight, with preferential gut enrichment. Histopathology revealed that PFOA caused thinning of the midgut wall, damage to the peritrophic membrane, and degradation of the basement membrane. Activities of enzymes in midgut, including amylase, protease, and lipase, were inhibited. Mechanistic studies indicated that PFOA induced intestinal cell apoptosis by up-regulating the expression of Caspase-3/8 gene and accumulating reactive oxygen species. Meanwhile, PFOA inhibited honeybees' detoxification genes, antioxidant and antimicrobial peptide genes, and affected the activities of key enzymes. Additionally, PFOA altered gut microbiota structure, decreasing Lactobacillus abundance and enriching Snodgrassella and Gilliamella, with down-regulated energy-related pathways. This study reveals that PFOA exerts its toxicity through multiple ways, including gut damage, immune suppression and disruption of microbiota. It provides important evidence for assessing the risks of PFOA to pollinators and also shed light on the potential effects of PFOA in terrestrial ecosystems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590182625000931Perfluorooctanoic acidApis cerana ceranaGut injuryImmune reactionGut microbiota |
| spellingShingle | Li Lei Changyu Li Ge Zhang Ying Wang Hongfang Wang Baohua Xu Perfluorooctanoic acid accumulation in honeybee tissues and its impact on the immune system and gut microbiota Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology Perfluorooctanoic acid Apis cerana cerana Gut injury Immune reaction Gut microbiota |
| title | Perfluorooctanoic acid accumulation in honeybee tissues and its impact on the immune system and gut microbiota |
| title_full | Perfluorooctanoic acid accumulation in honeybee tissues and its impact on the immune system and gut microbiota |
| title_fullStr | Perfluorooctanoic acid accumulation in honeybee tissues and its impact on the immune system and gut microbiota |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perfluorooctanoic acid accumulation in honeybee tissues and its impact on the immune system and gut microbiota |
| title_short | Perfluorooctanoic acid accumulation in honeybee tissues and its impact on the immune system and gut microbiota |
| title_sort | perfluorooctanoic acid accumulation in honeybee tissues and its impact on the immune system and gut microbiota |
| topic | Perfluorooctanoic acid Apis cerana cerana Gut injury Immune reaction Gut microbiota |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590182625000931 |
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