Direct and gut microbiota-mediated toxicities of environmental antibiotics to fish and aquatic invertebrates. (July 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Zhi; Lu, Tingyu; Li, Minjie; Mortimer, Monika; Guo, Liang-Hong
• Is Part Of: Chemosphere. Volume 329(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-07
• Subjects: Fish -- Crustaceans -- Microbiota -- Dysbiosis -- Sub-lethal effects -- Environmental risks; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Physiological effect -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Atmospheric chemistry -- Periodicals; 551.511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138692
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-6535

Abstract

Abstract: The accumulation of antibiotics in the environment has ecological impacts that have received less attention than the human health risks of antibiotics, although the effects could be far-reaching. This review discusses the effects of antibiotics on the health of fish and zooplankton, manifesting in direct or dysbiosis-mediated physiological impairment. Acute effects of antibiotics in these organism groups are usually induced at high concentrations (LC50 at ∼100–1000 mg/L) that are not commonly present in aquatic environments. However, when exposed to sub-lethal, environmentally relevant levels of antibiotics (ng/L-μg/L) disruption of physiological homeostasis, development, and fecundity can occur. Antibiotics at similar or lower concentrations can induce dysbiosis of gut microbiota which can affect the health of fish and invertebrates. We show that the data about molecular-level effects of antibiotics at low exposure concentrations are limited, hindering environmental risk assessment and species sensitivity analysis. Fish and crustaceans ( Daphnia sp.) were the two groups of aquatic organisms used most often for antibiotic toxicity testing, including microbiota analysis. While low levels of antibiotics impact the composition and function of gut microbiota in aquatic organisms, the correlation and causality of these changes to host physiology are not straightforward. In some cases, negative or lack of correlation have occurred, and, unexpectedly, gut microbial diversity has been unaffected or increased upon exposure to environmental levels of antibiotics. Efforts to incorporate functional analyses of gut microbiota are beginning to provide valuable mechanistic information, but more data is needed for ecological risk assessment of antibiotics. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Antibiotics in the environment may pose ecological risks. In aquatic organisms, sub-lethal effects may be caused by dysbiosis of microbiota. Antibiotic-induced changes in microbiota composition and host health are discussed. Future focus should be on functional changes of microbiota upon exposure to antibiotics. Microbiota of aquatic organisms is an important ignored factor in ERA of antibiotics.