Microplastics and cardiovascular toxicity: Mitigating risks through mushrooms

Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly being detected in drinking water as well as in aquatic ecosystems, posing serious risks to both human health and aquatic life. These particles adversely affect multiple organs, including the gastrointestinal tract, reproductive and endocrine systems, lungs, and heart. Research suggests that MPs accumulate within cell membranes and the cytosol, where they promote the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Recent findings indicate that MPs act as strong contributors to cardiovascular disorders, which remain a major cause of global morbidity and mortality. Exposure to MPs has been linked to endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, irregular cardiac rhythms, cardiac hypertrophy, and fibrosis. However, only limited molecular-level studies have explored the mechanisms underlying MP-induced cardiovascular diseases (CAVDs). Existing research shows that MPs increase the expression of Bax, Wnt, β-catenin, and collagen types I and III, while reducing the activity of antioxidative enzymes in cardiac tissue. Further investigation into the signaling pathways involved in MP-mediated cardiovascular damage is essential to better understand disease progression and to identify potential therapeutic strategies like the efficiency of mushrooms in ameliorating the effects of MPs in our heart by attenuation of ROS generation, suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators and inhibition of collagen deposition.