Mass spectrometry analysis reveals changes in patterns and correlations of nucleic acid epigenetic modifications in mouse tissues exposed to polystyrene microplastics

Beyond genetics: can micro and nanoplastics induce epigenetic and gene-expression modifications?

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This review gathers existing research on whether micro and nanoplastics can cause epigenetic changes, which are modifications that alter how genes work without changing the DNA itself. Although studies are still limited, the evidence so far shows that both short-term and long-term plastic particle exposure can trigger these gene-level changes in various organisms. This is concerning because epigenetic changes can potentially be passed to future generations and may contribute to disease.

Polystyrene Microplastics-Induced Bone Loss and Cartilage Degeneration Involve Wnt-Dependent MGMT Epigenetic Dysregulation

Nanoplastics as Epigenetic Disruptors: A Biochemical Review of Environmental Pollutants and Gene Regulation

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This biochemical review examined how nanoplastics disrupt epigenetic regulation, focusing on their ability to alter DNA methylation patterns, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA expression. The authors argued that nanoplastic-induced epigenetic changes could have lasting developmental and health consequences, especially during vulnerable life stages.

The mouse model of induced sperm DNA damage caused by polystyrene microplastics exhibited distinct transcriptomic and proteomic features

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Researchers established a mouse model of polystyrene microplastic-induced sperm DNA damage by administering 1 mg/kg/day for 60 days, which significantly elevated the sperm DNA fragmentation index, and characterized the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles associated with this reproductive toxicity.

Investigating the Epigenetic Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastic Exposure in Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) Epithelial Cells Using Methylation-Sensitive AFLPs

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Researchers exposed bluegill fish cells to polystyrene nanoplastics and examined whether the exposure caused changes in DNA methylation, a type of genetic modification that can alter how genes function. They found that nanoplastic exposure did cause methylation changes across the genome, but the effect was not dependent on dose or exposure time -- simply being exposed to nanoplastics was enough to trigger the changes. The findings suggest that even low-level nanoplastic exposure could have epigenetic effects on aquatic organisms.