CTSS/GSDMD Axis-Mediated Pyroptosis Mediates Tight Junction Disruption and Inflammatory Response Induced by Samarium...

With the widespread application of samarium (Sm), its progressive accumulation in ecosystems has raised ecotoxicological concerns and potential risks to human health, making it an urgent scientific issue in environmental toxicology. In this study, the biotoxicity mechanism of samarium (Sm) was investigated via exposure experiments of zebrafish to samarium oxide (Sm₂O₃). A combination of nanoparticle tracking analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transcriptome sequencing, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and Western blotting was employed to systematically evaluate the biological effects and molecular responses induced by Sm₂O₃ exposure. The results showed that Sm₂O₃ (primary particle size 150-200 nm) accumulated in zebrafish embryos and produced multiple toxic phenotypes, including pericardial edema, developmental malformations, reduced Vmat-positive neurons, locomotor impairment, and loss of epidermal microridges. These effects occurred in both concentration- and time-dependent manners. Sm₂O₃ exposure significantly altered the mRNA and protein expression of tight junction-related molecules, including claudin (cldn), occludin (ocln), and zonula occluden (zo) family members. Sm₂O₃ significantly upregulated cathepsin S (CTSS) expression and elevated key pyroptosis-related proteins, including NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1, and N-gasdermin D (N-GSDMD). This activation was accompanied by enhanced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), as well as altered macrophage migration patterns. These results demonstrate that Sm₂O₃ induces systemic toxicity through bioaccumulation, tight junction disruption, and activation of the CTSS-GSDMD/caspase-1 signaling axis, promoting pyroptosis and inflammatory responses. This study provides mechanistic insight and experimental evidence supporting ecological risk assessment and health risk evaluation of rare earth elements.