Using female zebrafish as a model, researchers have found that aerobic exercise may influence various connections in the body to lessen the damaging health impacts of environmental nanoplastics.
In the study, which is published in The FASEB Journal , adult female zebrafish were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics for 21 days, with or without moderate aerobic exercise.
“Once ingested, nanoplastics may cross epithelial barriers and accumulate in multiple organs, including the liver, heart, brain, and ovary, eliciting oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption,” the authors wrote. “Among these targets, the ovary appears particularly susceptible, yet the mechanisms underlying nanoplastic-induced ovarian accumulation and toxicity remain poorly characterized.”
Exposure to nanoplastics alone caused significant ovarian accumulation of particle-like structures, elevated oxidative stress, increased follicular cell death, and disrupted reproductive hormones. It also induced anxiety‑ and depression-like behaviors in tank and shoaling tests, accompanied by elevated stress hormone levels. In contrast, concurrent aerobic exercise lessened these effects.
Investigators also found that aerobic exercise counteracted gut microbe imbalances caused by nanoplastics. Analyses linked these microbial shifts to enhanced fatty acid and tryptophan metabolism, which correlated with improved neuroendocrine health.
The findings indicate that aerobic exercise may mitigate nanoplastic-induced neuroendocrine dysfunction via gut–ovary–brain connections.
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1096/fj.202600941R
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About the Journal
The FASEB Journal , the flagship publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), leads in publishing groundbreaking multidisciplinary research in biology and biomedical sciences. It spans all levels of biological organization, from molecular to population studies. The journal drives advances in basic, translational, pre-clinical, and early clinical research. Known for its rigorous peer-review process, The FASEB Journal is dedicated to advancing high-quality scientific discoveries and shaping the future of science.
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The FASEB Journal
Lifestyle modulation of xenobiotic stress: aerobic exercise attenuates nanoplastic-associated neuroendocrine dysfunction via a gut-ovary-brain continuum
20-May-2026