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Probiotic Supplementation Attenuates Polystyrene Nanoplastic-Induced Pancreatic Injury through Modulation of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and P2X7 Receptor/Caspase-1 Signaling Pathway in Rats
Summary
Tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics—the kind that break down from everyday plastic waste—caused pancreas damage and inflammation in rats, including harm to insulin-producing cells. The good news: giving the rats probiotics (beneficial gut bacteria) significantly protected against this damage by calming inflammation and boosting the body's natural antioxidant defenses. While this study was done in rats, not humans, it hints that probiotics might one day help protect our bodies from the health effects of the microplastics we're increasingly exposed to in food and water.
Polystyrene nanoplastics (PsNPs) represent an emerging environmental threat with potential adverse effects on pancreatic tissue. This study investigated whether probiotic supplementation (PB) could attenuate PsNPs-induced pancreatic injury by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and P2X7R/Caspase-1 signaling. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: control, probiotic (PB 10), PsNPs (100 nm, 10 mg/kg/day), PsNPs + PB 10, and PsNPs + PB 10. After 35 days of oral administration, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory cytokines, P2X7R/Caspase-1 gene expression, signaling proteins (NF-κB, PI3K, p-PI3K, p38 MAPK, TGF-β), histopathology, and immunohistochemistry (Bcl-2, Caspase-3, Insulin, P2X7 and Caspase-1) were evaluated. PsNPs significantly upregulated P2X7R and Caspase-1 expression (Sp < 0.0001), elevated NF-κB levels (p < 0.0001), increased IL-1β and TNF-α, and induced oxidative stress with elevated MDA, depleted SOD (p < 0.001), and reduced GSH (p < 0.01). Histopathology revealed inflammatory infiltration and cellular degeneration. Insulin immunoreactivity decreased while Caspase-3 increased. Probiotic co-treatment at 101⁰ CFU/day significantly attenuated P2X7R/Caspase-1 upregulation, reduced NF-κB expression, restored SOD activity and GSH levels, normalized cytokines, and preserved Insulin immunoreactivity. PsNPs induce pancreatic injury through P2X7R/Caspase-1/NF-κB signaling activation. Multi-strain probiotic supplementation exerts dose-dependent protective effects by modulating purinergic signaling and restoring antioxidant capacity.