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Research Progress on Micro (Nano)Plastics Exposure-Induced miRNA-Mediated Biotoxicity
Summary
This review examines how exposure to micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) alters microRNA (miRNA) expression and activates competing endogenous RNA networks including lncRNAs and circRNAs, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress. The authors find that dysregulated miRNA expression from MNP exposure increases risks of neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, with implications for understanding MNP-driven human health impacts.
Micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) are ubiquitously distributed in the environment, infiltrate organisms through multiple pathways, and accumulate, thus posing potential threats to human health. MNP exposure elicits changes in microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), thereby precipitating immune, neurological, and other toxic effects. The investigation of MNP exposure and its effect on miRNA expression has garnered increasing attention. Following MNP exposure, circRNAs serve as miRNA sponges by modulating gene expression, while lncRNAs function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) by fine-tuning target gene expression and consequently impacting protein translation and physiological processes in cells. Dysregulated miRNA expression mediates mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress, thereby increasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. This tract, blood, urine, feces, placenta, and review delves into the biotoxicity arising from dysregulated miRNA expression due to MNP exposure and addresses the challenges encountered in this field. This study provides novel insights into the connections between MNPs and disease risk.