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Effect of Subchronic Oral Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics on Female Rats
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In a month-long study, female rats that swallowed tiny plastic particles (microplastics) showed disrupted reproductive hormones and increased cell-damaging stress in their ovaries—and smaller particles (1 micrometer) caused more disruption than slightly larger ones. This matters because it suggests the plastic bits we're increasingly exposed to through food, water, and packaging could potentially affect fertility and hormone balance, though more research is needed to confirm whether these effects translate to humans.
Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as environmental contaminants with potential impacts on reproductive health. The current study investigated the effects of oral exposure to polystyrene MPs of different sizes for 30-days on the hormonal and ovarian oxidative profile of female Wistar rats. After the 30-day exposure to 1 µm particles, the results showed elevated estradiol (4.51±0.17 ng/dL) and testosterone levels (3.73±0.68 ng/dL) compared to the control group (4.35±0.16 ng/dL and 3.40±0.20 ng/dL, respectively) and the 5 µm particles group (4.33±0.23 ng/dL and 3.43±0.40 ng/dL). Follicle-stimulating hormone decreased in the 1 µm group (2.23±0.77 ng/dL) relative to the control (2.60±1.15 ng/dL) and 5 µm (2.70±1.55 ng/dL), while luteinizing hormone increased in the 5 µm group (3.73±0.55 ng/dL) compared to the control (2.03±1.53 ng/dL) and 1 µm (2.10±1.03 ng/dL). Regarding the oxidative status, lipid peroxidation was significantly higher in the 1 µm group (0.25±0.07 nmol MDA/mg protein) than in the control (0.16±0.03; P≤0.01) and 5 µm group (0.17±0.02 nmol MDA/mg protein). Compared to the control (157.14±52.13 ng/mg protein) total glutathione increased in both experimental groups (234.52±54.53 ng/mg protein; P≤0.05 for the 1 µm group and 304.70±57.75 ng/mg protein; P≤0.001 for the 5 µm group). These findings suggest that particle size can play a critical role in modulating hormonal and oxidative responses, highlighting potential reproductive risks associated with MPs exposure which poses threats to biodiversity reducing population viability.
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The risk of short-term microplastic exposure on female reproductive function: A rat model study
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Researchers investigated the effects of short-term microplastic exposure on female reproductive function in rats and found that even brief exposure disrupted hormone levels and altered ovarian and uterine tissue. Higher concentrations of microplastics led to thinning of the uterine lining and changes in steroid hormone receptor expression. The study suggests that even intermittent microplastic exposure may pose risks to reproductive health.
Lactational exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics is associated with dose-related ovarian alterations in rat offspring
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In a rat study, baby females exposed to nanoplastics through their mother's milk showed smaller ovaries, fewer developing egg follicles, hormone imbalances, and more cell damage as they grew up—and the effects got worse with higher doses. This suggests that the period of breastfeeding may be a particularly vulnerable time for nanoplastic exposure to affect reproductive development, raising concerns about how these tiny plastic particles—already found in breast milk—might impact fertility later in life. More research is needed to confirm whether these effects occur in humans.
Effects of Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure on Growth and Physiological Parameters in Juvenile Wistar Rats
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Scientists fed young rats tiny plastic particles (the kind found in everyday products) daily for six weeks and found the rats grew more slowly and had disrupted hormone levels, including lower testosterone in males and lower estrogen in females, plus changes in organs like the brain, lungs, and spleen. While this study was in rats, not humans, it adds to growing evidence that microplastics may interfere with normal development and hormone balance, which is especially concerning during childhood and adolescence when these systems are still maturing.
Exposure to microplastics leads to a defective ovarian function and change in cytoskeleton protein expression in rat
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Researchers exposed female rats to polystyrene microplastics over multiple reproductive cycles and found, for the first time, that the particles accumulated in different parts of the ovarian tissue. The microplastics reduced ovarian weight, disrupted the normal development of egg follicles, altered the reproductive cycle, and lowered estrogen levels. The study suggests these effects are driven by oxidative stress and changes in key structural proteins within the ovary.
Reproductive and metabolic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics in adult female Wistar rats: a mechanistic study
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Researchers gave female rats polystyrene microplastics orally for 45 days and found disruptions to both metabolic and reproductive hormone levels, including increased cholesterol, insulin resistance, and altered sex hormones. The microplastics also caused liver fibrosis and elevated inflammatory markers. The study suggests that chronic microplastic exposure may contribute to metabolic and endocrine disruption in mammals.
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