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Supplementary Figures and Tables for: Dual route of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics exposure increases in vivo leukocyte–endothelium interactions and aligns with organ injury
Original title: Supplementary Figures and Tables for: Dual route of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics exposure increases in vivo leukocyte–endothelium interactions and aligns with organ injury
Summary
Mice exposed to microplastics through both food and air for a month showed more inflammation in their blood vessels, plus signs of damage in their gut, lungs, and brain—including memory problems in behavior tests. While this is animal research and can't yet prove the same happens in people, it adds to growing evidence that everyday plastic exposure might trigger inflammation and affect organs beyond just where the particles enter the body.
Micro- and nanoplastics are pervasive environmental contaminants, yet direct in vivo evidence linking mixed-route exposure to leukocyte–endothelium interactions remain limited. Here, we investigated the effects of 28-day dual-route polystyrene exposure (oral microplastics and inhalational nanoplastics) in a sex-stratified murine model.Using intravital microscopy of mesenteric post-capillary venules, we quantified leukocyte rolling, stationary events and firm adhesion under physiological flow. Dual-route exposure increased leukocyte–endothelium interactions in three measured steps of the trafficking cascade compared with controls. These effects were directionally similar in females and males. Peripheral blood analysis showed higher total leukocyte counts and an increased lymphocyte proportion in exposed animals.Fluorescence screening revealed particle-associated fluorescence signals on the surfaces of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs and brain. These organs exhibited biochemical and histopathological alterations, including increased lung malondialdehyde, reduced brain glutathione and structural injury in ileum, lung and brain tissues. Behavioural testing further revealed reduced spontaneous alternation, consistent with impaired spatial working-memory-related performance. Anxiety-like behaviour was not detectably altered.Together, these findings show that dual-route polystyrene exposure increases leukocyte–endothelium interactions in vivo and that these vascular changes co-occur with organ-specific biochemical, structural and behavioural alterations. This work supports leukocyte–endothelium interactions as a plausible physiological component contributing to the systemic response to micro- and nanoplastic exposure, while indicating the need for direct mechanistic studies of leukocyte activation, endothelial activation, inflammatory signalling and barrier dysfunction.