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Nanoplastic-InducedDisruption of DPPC and PalmiticAcid Films: Implications for Membrane Integrity
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Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt model lung surfactant films composed of DPPC and palmitic acid, finding that nanoplastics intercalate into and destabilize these lipid membranes in ways that could impair respiratory function in people who inhale plastic particles.
Nanoplastics are generated from the fragmentation of microplastics under various environmental conditions in the atmosphere. These tiny pollutants are widespread and can enter the human body through the air we breathe and the food and water we consume. Understanding how nanoplastics interact with different membrane lipids is paramount to discerning the kind of threat they pose in terms of lung alveolar destabilization, impaired cell communication, cell wall disruption, diminished nutrient delivery, and neurotoxicity. In this research, we examined the interaction of polystyrene nanoplastics with phosphatidylcholine and palmitic acid at the aqueous interface to identify individual lipid response. Employing a comprehensive experimental approach that includes infrared-reflection absorption spectroscopy, Langmuir isotherms, and Brewster angle microscopy, we investigated chemical and physical changes of the lipid systems with nanoplastics dispersed within the water solution phase. Increasing the concentration of polystyrene nanoplastics in the solution phase led to enhanced interfacial activity; the nanoplastics were observed to incorporate into the lipid films driven by adsorption/complexation. The findings provide insights into the physical mechanisms through which nanoplastics permeate cellular membranes and bioaccumulate.
More Papers Like This
Nanoplastic-induced Disruption of DPPC and Palmitic Acid Films: Implications for Membrane Integrity
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Researchers modeled how nanoplastic particles disrupt lipid monolayer films of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and palmitic acid that mimic lung surfactant, finding that nanoplastics caused structural disruption of the surfactant film with implications for respiratory function in exposed individuals.
Nanoplastic-induced Disruption of DPPC and Palmitic Acid Monolayers: Implications for Membrane Integrity
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Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to disrupt DPPC and palmitic acid lipid monolayers—models of lung alveolar and cell membranes—suggesting that inhaled or ingested nanoplastics could compromise lung alveolar stability, cell signaling, nutrient delivery, and potentially cause neurotoxicity through membrane disruption.
Nanoplastic-Induced Disruption of DPPC and Palmitic Acid Films: Implications for Membrane Integrity
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Researchers studied how nanoplastics interact with lung and cell membrane lipids at the molecular level. They found that polystyrene nanoplastics can physically insert themselves into lipid films that mimic cell membranes, with greater disruption at higher concentrations. These findings help explain how nanoplastics may penetrate cellular barriers, potentially affecting lung function and allowing the particles to accumulate in biological tissues.
Nanoplastic-induced Disruption of DPPC and Palmitic Acid Monolayers: Implications for Membrane Integrity
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Researchers used molecular dynamics simulations and spectroscopic techniques to study how nanoplastics interact with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and palmitic acid monolayers -- models of lung surfactant and cell membrane lipids. Nanoplastics disrupted both monolayer systems, altering membrane mechanical properties in ways that suggest inhalation of nanoplastics could compromise pulmonary surfactant function and cellular membrane integrity.
Potential health risks of the interaction of microplastics and lung surfactant
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Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics interact with lung surfactant extracted from porcine lungs. The study found that microplastics altered the surface tension and membrane structure of lung surfactant, preferentially adsorbed phospholipid components, and accelerated the production of reactive oxygen species, suggesting potential risks to respiratory health from inhaled microplastics.
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