Response of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber to lipopolysaccharide challenge after microplastic and insecticide exposure

Dolar, Andraž (author), Petrišič, Tina (author), Drobne, Damjana (author), Jemec Kokalj, Anita (author)

The exposure of organisms to microplastics could compromise their ability to cope with other environmental stressors, such as infections. In this context, we investigated the effects of a 14-day exposure of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber to tire particles in soil (1.5 % w w$^{−1}$ dry weight) on the organisms' response to a secondary exposure, i.e., injection of the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide. In addition, the insecticide chlorpyrifos (2 mg kg$^{−1}$ dry weight) was tested as a positive control. The survival and immune response of P. scaber was assessed at the end of the 7- and 14-day primary exposure and two days after the secondary exposure, by analyzing selected haemolymph immune parameters (total haemocyte count, differential haemocyte count, and haemocyte viability). No change in survival was observed after primary exposure of P. scaber to tire particles or chlorpyrifos. However, primary exposure to chlorpyrifos triggered a strong activation of the immune response, which was not the case following exposure to the tire particles. Further injection of lipopolysaccharide into the body did not affect the survival of animals exposed to tire particles or chlorpyrifos, while a strong immunomodulatory change was observed, particularly with chlorpyrifos, and to some extent, tire particles. Based on these results, we conclude that exposure of P. scaber to tire particles or chlorpyrifos has no significant effect on the susceptibility of the organism to lipopolysaccharide in terms of their mortality, but primary exposure to an insecticide significantly modulates the immune response of the organisms to a second stressor. We discuss the “stress on stress” approach for testing low-toxic substances, such as microplastics, where an environmentally realistic exposure is followed by a secondary exposure.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Porcellio scaber, soil, tire particles, chlorpyrifos insecticide, organism susceptibility, woodlice, infection
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 9 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 925, art. 171698
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-156266
• UDC: 504
• ISSN on article: 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171698
• COBISS.SI-ID: 189623811
• Publication date in RUL: 16.05.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Science of the total environment
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1879-1026
• COBISS.SI-ID: 23110917

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: Porcellio scaber, zemlja, delci pnevmatike, insekticid klorpirifos, občutljivost organizma