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Transplacental and lactational exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces structural and cellular alterations in the hippocampus of rat offspring
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In a study on pregnant rats, tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) passed from mother to baby during pregnancy and breastfeeding, showing up in the offspring's brains and damaging a key memory-related brain region called the hippocampus. The exposed babies had smaller brains, more cell death, and disrupted support cells in the brain — effects that got worse with higher plastic doses. While this was done in rats, not humans, it raises real concerns about whether everyday plastic exposure during pregnancy could affect a developing baby's brain, making it an important area for future human research.
The increasing environmental prevalence of nanoplastics has raised concerns regarding their potential impact on early life neurodevelopment. This study examined the effects of maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) during gestation and lactation on the brain development of rat offspring. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received daily oral gavage of PS-NPs (0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg/day) throughout pregnancy and lactation, and the fetuses were assessed on gestational day 20 (GD20), and offspring were assessed on postnatal day 30 (PD30), and postnatal day 60 (PD60). Fluorescence-based tracking revealed the presence of PS-NPs in the offspring brain at all developmental stages, consistent with transplacental and lactational transfer. Maternal PS-NP exposure was associated with dose-dependent reductions in body and brain weights, increased oxidative stress, and marked histological and histomorphometric alterations in the hippocampus and dentate gyrus, including reduced neuronal density and thinning of the hippocampal layers. Immunohistochemical analyses further indicated the activation of apoptotic signaling (increased P53 and decreased BCL-2) and glial dysregulation, characterized by enhanced GFAP and reduced Olig-2 expression. Collectively, these findings suggest that maternal PS-NP exposure may disrupt neurodevelopment through oxidative stress-related apoptosis, glial remodeling, and structural alterations in vulnerable hippocampal regions. These results highlight the potential risks associated with early life nanoplastic exposure and emphasize the need for further studies addressing long-term functional and sex-specific outcomes.
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Effects of nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy and lactation on neurodevelopment of rat offspring
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When pregnant and nursing rats were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics, their offspring showed thinner brain cortexes, disrupted neurotransmitter levels, damaged connections between brain cells, and problems with anxiety and spatial memory. This study suggests that maternal exposure to nanoplastics during pregnancy and breastfeeding could affect brain development in offspring.
Teratological, neurochemical and histomorphic changes in the limbic areas of F1 mice progeny due to co-parental polystyrene nanoplastic exposure
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Researchers exposed parent mice to polystyrene nanoplastics before and during pregnancy and found that offspring exhibited skeletal and visceral malformations, impaired neonatal reflexes, learning deficits, and structural brain changes — including reduced hippocampal neurons — demonstrating transgenerational neurodevelopmental harm from nanoplastic exposure.
Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics causes brain abnormalities in progeny
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Researchers found that maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics caused brain abnormalities in offspring, demonstrating that nanoplastics can cross maternal barriers and affect neurological development in progeny with implications for developmental toxicology.
Selective bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in fetal rat brain and damage to myelin development
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Pregnant rats exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics passed the particles through the placenta into their fetuses' brains, where they accumulated most heavily in the cerebellum. This exposure damaged the protective coating around nerve fibers (myelin) and reduced key brain cells, leading to motor problems in the offspring -- raising concerns about how nanoplastics during pregnancy could affect fetal brain development.
Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics impacts developmental milestones and brain structure in mouse offspring
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Researchers exposed pregnant mice to polystyrene nanoplastics and studied the effects on their offspring's brain development. The study found that maternal nanoplastic exposure affected developmental milestones and brain structure in the young mice. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy may pose risks to fetal brain development, though more research is needed to understand the implications for humans.
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