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Preliminary study of polyethylene microplastics disrupting energy Metabolism, redox Balance, and prefrontal cortex structure in Wistar rats
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Researchers examined the neurotoxic effects of polyethylene microplastics on the prefrontal cortex of rats over a 28-day oral exposure period. The study found that microplastic exposure disrupted energy metabolism, impaired mitochondrial redox balance, and triggered inflammatory responses in brain tissue, suggesting that microplastics may pose risks to neurological function.
Plastic pollution has become a major environmental and health concern, with microplastics (MPs) increasingly implicated in biological toxicity. This study examined the neurotoxic effects of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) on prefrontal cortex (PFC) bioenergetics, mitochondrial redox balance, and inflammatory responses. Fifteen male Wistar rats were divided into control and treatment groups, receiving oral PE-MP doses (15 or 60 mg/kg body weight) for 28 days. Biochemical assessments revealed significant disruption of PFC bioenergetic enzymes critical for energy metabolism. Oxidative stress and inflammation were evident, characterized by antioxidant depletion, enhanced oxidation, and impaired redox homeostasis. Histological analysis further demonstrated neuronal degeneration, vacuolation, and vascular congestion within the PFC. These findings indicate that PE-MP exposure compromises cortical bioenergetics, disturbs mitochondrial redox equilibrium, triggers inflammatory modulation, and induces structural damage in the rat prefrontal cortex.
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Microplastic Neurotoxicity in the Prefrontal Cortex: A Review of Mechanisms and Neuropsychiatric Associations
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Researchers synthesize current evidence on how microplastics accumulate in the brain and impair prefrontal cortex function through structural neural network damage, neurotransmitter disruption, and neuroinflammation, proposing mechanistic links to cognitive deficits, emotional dysregulation, and neuropsychiatric conditions.
Polyethylene microplastics disrupt renal function, mitochondrial bioenergetics, redox homeostasis, and histoarchitecture in Wistar rats
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Researchers gave rats polyethylene microplastics orally for 28 days and found dose-dependent kidney damage, including impaired filtration, electrolyte imbalances, and tissue inflammation. The microplastics depleted antioxidant defenses, increased oxidative stress markers, and disrupted mitochondrial energy production in kidney cells, identifying the kidneys as a critical target of microplastic toxicity.
Dataset of oxidative stress, inflammatory and synaptic markers in rat prefrontal cortex following acute exposure to bisphenol A and polyethylene microplastics
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Researchers present a biochemical and gene expression dataset from rat prefrontal cortex following acute oral exposure to bisphenol A, polyethylene microplastics, and their combination, measuring antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, and expression of oxidative stress, inflammatory, and synaptic markers to characterize early neurological responses.
Dose‐Dependent Toxicological Effects of Polyvinyl Chloride and Polystyrene Microplastics on Wistar Albino Rats
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Researchers fed rats PVC and polystyrene microplastics at different doses for eight weeks and observed significant changes including weight loss, elevated blood glucose, increased cholesterol and liver enzymes, and signs of oxidative stress. The study suggests that oral microplastic exposure at these levels can cause dose-dependent toxicological effects across multiple organ systems in mammals.
Dose- and time-dependent polystyrene microplastic exposure alters brain metabolic markers and behavior in male Wistar rats
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Rats given polystyrene microplastic doses in drinking water for up to 84 days showed lower blood sugar and changes in energy-related chemicals in the brain's cortex and cerebellum, with effects varying by dose and time. Rats given middle and high doses also showed more curiosity and exploratory behavior after 56 and 84 days.
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