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Low-dose polystyrene microplastics exposure increases susceptibility to obesity-induced MASLD via disrupting intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota homeostasis
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A mouse study found that even low doses of polystyrene microplastics made fatty liver disease significantly worse when combined with a high-fat diet, creating a "double hit" effect. The microplastics damaged the gut lining, disrupted beneficial gut bacteria, and triggered inflammation that spread to the liver, and these harmful effects were difficult to reverse even after two weeks of stopping exposure.
The global incidence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has surged in recent years, potentially impacted by both high-energy food intake (e.g., high-fat diet, HFD) and environmental pollutants like microplastics (MPs). However, the combined impacts of MPs exposure and HFD feeding, particularly under long-time exposure, low concentrations MPs conditions, on the MASLD progression remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, C57BL/6 J male mice were fed either a normal chow diet or HFD with or without low-dose MPs (polystyrene) exposure (25-30 μg/kg body weight /day) for 14 weeks. The adverse health effects associated with MASLD development were evaluated, including intestinal permeability, gut microbiota composition, hepatic lipid metabolism, and the mediating role of the gut-liver axis. Additionally, HFD with or without low-dose MPs exposure was withdrawn to further verify this process. Our data demonstrated that low-dose MPs exposure or HFD feeding significantly increased the gut permeability, oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory response and apoptosis, while concurrently contributing to gut dysbiosis (e.g., reduced levels of Akkermansia) and MASLD development. Furthermore, low-dose MPs exposure exacerbated these effects in combination with HFD feeding, exhibiting a 'double hit' effect. Notably, the impacts of low-dose MPs exposure combined with HFD feeding on MASLD were difficult to reverse after two weeks withdrawing, likely due to the limited recovery potential of intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota homeostasis. These finding underscore the importance of avoiding MPs exposure in the pathogenesis of MASLD, particularly under a metabolic disorder conditions, and provide valuable insights for the developing therapeutic strategies to combat MASLD caused by MPs exposure.
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Oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics alters the intestinal environment and metabolic outcomes in mice
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In a mouse study, oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics caused fatty liver disease and abnormal blood lipid levels even without prior gut leakiness. The microplastics triggered intestinal inflammation through immune cells, disrupted gut bacteria, and altered how the body processes nutrients. These results suggest that swallowing microplastics could contribute to metabolic problems and liver disease in humans.
Oral Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics of Mice on a Normal or High-Fat Diet and Intestinal and Metabolic Outcomes
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics caused metabolic problems like diabetes and fatty liver disease in mice, but only when combined with a high-fat diet. The high-fat diet appeared to damage the gut lining enough to allow microplastics to deposit in the intestinal wall, triggering inflammation that altered nutrient absorption. This suggests that people with poor diets may be more vulnerable to the harmful effects of microplastic exposure.
Proinflammatory properties and lipid disturbance of polystyrene microplastics in the livers of mice with acute colitis
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Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the livers of mice fed a high-fat diet and found that the particles triggered significant inflammatory responses and disrupted lipid metabolism. The microplastics worsened fat accumulation in the liver and activated inflammatory signaling pathways. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure combined with a high-fat diet may amplify liver damage and metabolic disturbances.
Combined exposure to polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene microplastics induces liver injury and perturbs gut microbial and serum metabolic homeostasis in mice
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Mice exposed to a combination of PVC and polystyrene microplastics for 60 days developed liver damage, gut barrier breakdown, and disrupted gut bacteria. The co-exposure also raised cholesterol and triglyceride levels in both blood and liver, and altered hundreds of metabolites related to fat metabolism. Since people are typically exposed to multiple types of microplastics simultaneously, this study suggests the combined effects may be worse than exposure to a single type alone.
Long-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics promotes HFD-induced obesity in mice through exacerbating microbiota dysbiosis
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Researchers found that long-term polystyrene microplastic exposure worsened high-fat-diet-induced obesity in mice by exacerbating gut microbiota dysbiosis, suggesting microplastic ingestion may amplify metabolic disease risk through disruption of the gut microbiome.
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