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Polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the intestinal microenvironment by altering bacteria-host interactions through extracellular vesicle-delivered microRNAs
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Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the gut lining in mice by altering tiny RNA molecules that control the production of protective proteins in the intestinal barrier. The nanoplastics also caused an imbalance in gut bacteria, creating a chain reaction where damaged gut cells release particles that further weaken the intestinal barrier and change the microbiome.
Nanoplastics (NP) are emerging environmental pollutants with potential risks to human health. This study investigates how polystyrene-NP exposure disrupts the intestinal microenvironment and barrier function through bacteria-host interactions. Using in vivo models and bacterial sorting technology, we show that NP accumulation in the mouse intestine alters the expression of intestinal miR-501-3p and miR-700-5p, compromising tight junction protein ZO-1 and mucin (MUC)-13 expression, thereby increasing intestinal permeability. NP increases miR-98-3p, miR-548z, miR-548h-3o, miR-548d-3p, miR-548az-5p, miR-12136, and miR-101-3p levels in extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from goblet-like cells, which can interfere with ZO-1 expression. NP also induces gut microbiota dysbiosis, characterized by elevated Ruminococcaceae abundance and altered EV characteristics from goblet cells. Lachnospiraceae internalize NP, and their EVs suppress MUC-13 expression. These findings reveal a mechanism by which NP compromises intestinal integrity and indirectly alters intestinal microbiota composition, potentially leading to adverse health outcomes.
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Researchers exposed rats to nano- and micro-sized polystyrene plastics for four weeks and found that both disrupted gut barrier function and altered gut microbiota composition. The particles changed the profile of small RNA molecules called miRNAs carried by exosomes in the intestine and blood, particularly reducing miR-126a-3p, which is involved in maintaining gut integrity. The study suggests that plastic particles may damage the intestinal barrier through a previously unknown mechanism involving cell-to-cell communication via exosomes.
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This mouse study found that nano-sized polystyrene plastics were significantly more toxic than micro-sized ones, causing greater gut inflammation, liver damage, and metabolic disruption. The key difference was driven by how each size affected gut bacteria: nanoplastics caused a more severe shift toward harmful bacteria and away from beneficial ones. The findings suggest that the smallest plastic particles may pose the greatest health risk because they more dramatically disrupt the gut microbiome.
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Researchers systematically reviewed 15 mouse studies and found that exposure to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics consistently disrupted gut bacteria — reducing beneficial species like Lactobacillus and increasing harmful ones — while also altering metabolic pathways throughout the body. Nanoplastics caused more severe microbiome disruption than larger microplastics, highlighting a serious health concern for humans.
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Researchers investigated how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt gut barrier function in mice, finding that different surface chemistries caused varying levels of damage. The study suggests that these plastic particles harm the gut by altering the gut microbiome, which then leads to inflammation and weakening of the intestinal barrier that normally keeps harmful substances out of the body.
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