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Micro/nanoplastic-induced gut dysbiosis: A key driver of systemic toxicity via the gut-organ axes in animals
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Tiny plastic particles (microplastics and nanoplastics) that we're constantly exposed to through food, water, and air may harm our health largely by disrupting the balance of good and bad bacteria in our gut, according to this review of existing animal research. This gut disruption doesn't stay contained—it can trigger problems throughout the body, including in the brain, liver, kidneys, and reproductive system, by traveling along "gut-organ" communication pathways. While this research is based on animal studies rather than humans, it suggests that protecting gut health could be an important strategy for reducing the potential harms of plastic pollution on our bod
Micro/nanoplastics (M/NPs) are ubiquitous emerging contaminants that have permeated all trophic levels of global ecosystems. The gut microbiota, which serves as the central hub for host metabolic homeostasis, immune defense, and neuromodulation, is a confirmed critical amplifier of M/NP-induced toxic effects. This review describes the links between M/NP exposure, gut dysbiosis, intestinal barrier impairment, and systemic multiorgan injury. We compared microbial changes across diverse aquatic and terrestrial animal taxa. These microbial shifts are characterized by the enrichment of opportunistic pathogens (e.g., Vibrio and Proteobacteria) and the depletion of beneficial commensal bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus). We analyzed four primary pathways through which M/NPs perturb the gut microecology, including physical damage, chemical leaching of additives, immune activation, and the Trojan horse effect. We explain the molecular mechanisms through which gut dysbiosis mediates host neurobehavioral abnormalities, metabolic reprogramming, and reproductive dysfunction through the gut-brain, gut-liver, gut-kidney, and gut-reproductive axes. Importantly, this study connects laboratory data with real-world human exposure and clinical findings. It also highlights the significance of exploring emerging cross-organ axes, such as the gut-lung and gut-heart axes. Finally, health risks are assessed under the One Health framework, and targeted strategies are proposed to mitigate the toxic effects of M/NPs.
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Micro- and nanoplastics disrupt the gut–liver–brain axis: mechanisms of multi-organ toxicity in animal models
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This review pulls together animal research showing that tiny plastic particles (micro- and nanoplastics) don't just pass through your body harmlessly—they can damage the gut lining, throw off gut bacteria, and trigger inflammation that spreads to the liver and even the brain. The smallest particles (nanoplastics) seem especially good at slipping past the body's protective barriers, raising concern about their effects on human health. Since this is based on animal studies so far, more research is needed to confirm how directly these findings apply to people, but it strengthens the case that everyday plastic exposure deserves closer attention.
Micro- and Nanoplastics as Environmental Stressors: Mechanistic Links Among Gut Dysbiosis, Inflammation, and Systemic Health Effects
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This review pulls together existing research on how the tiny plastic particles we're constantly exposed to (in food, water, and air) might harm our health, not just by directly damaging cells, but by disrupting our gut bacteria and triggering chronic inflammation throughout the body. Scientists think this chain reaction could play a role in heart, liver, kidney, lung, and even brain diseases, though the evidence in humans is still early and more research is needed to confirm how serious the risk really is. The takeaway: microplastics may affect health through your gut, not just wherever they physically end up in the body.
Gut-Mediated Systemic Toxicity of Micro- and Nanoplastics: Nanoscale Biointerface Properties, Microbiota-Metabolite Crosstalk, and Evidence Across Gut-Organ Axes
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This review pulls together existing research to show how tiny plastic particles we accidentally eat can disrupt our gut—damaging its protective lining, throwing off our gut bacteria, and triggering inflammation—and then send harmful ripple effects to the liver, brain, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive organs. In other words, the health risks of microplastics may not stay confined to your digestive system; they could potentially affect your whole body. This is a summary of current science rather than new experiments, and it highlights that smaller, more weathered plastic particles appear to pose greater risks, an important insight given how widespread these particles are in our
From dysbiosis to systemic inflammation: The role of microplastics in inducing distal organ damage
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This review pulls together existing research showing how microplastics we swallow can disrupt the balance of bacteria in our gut, weaken the gut's protective lining, and trigger inflammation that spreads through the bloodstream. This gut-triggered inflammation may then contribute to damage in other organs—including the liver, kidneys, brain, and reproductive system—suggesting microplastic exposure could have far-reaching health effects beyond just digestive issues. More research is still needed to confirm these pathways and find ways to protect against this damage.
Microplastics and nano-plastics as emerging gut–brain axis disruptors: mechanistic insights, health implications, and future direction
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This review pulls together existing research showing that the tiny plastic bits we eat and breathe in (microplastics and nanoplastics) can disrupt the healthy bacteria in your gut, weaken your intestinal lining, and trigger inflammation, problems that don't stay put in your stomach. Once this damage occurs, plastic particles and inflammatory signals can travel through the bloodstream and even cross into the brain, potentially contributing to brain inflammation and disrupted brain chemistry. While more research is needed to confirm exact risks in humans, this matters because it suggests everyday plastic exposure could affect not just
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