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A PTCA LabelingMethod for Direct LDI-MSI of PolystyreneNanospheres
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Scientists developed a new imaging technique that lets them track exactly where plastic nanoparticles end up in the body and see how they disrupt normal chemistry at the same time. Using this method in mice, they found that plastic particles entering the bloodstream mostly collected in the lungs and triggered changes in metabolism, while particles breathed into the lungs stayed there for weeks, causing lasting disruptions. This matters because it gives researchers a powerful new tool to study how the micro/nanoplastics we're increasingly exposed to might affect our health over time.
Abstract Micro/nanoplastics are widely detected in environmental and biological systems. However, methods for their direct mass spectrometric detection in vivo remain underdeveloped, limiting the simultaneous analysis of their tissue distribution and associated metabolic responses. In this study, we developed a perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid (PTCA)-labeling strategy for polystyrene (PS) nanospheres and established a direct laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (LDI-MSI) approach for in vivo tracking. On the same tissue section, PS–PTCA was first imaged by LDI-MSI, followed by matrix application to obtain complementary metabolomic information. In an intravenous model, PS–PTCA showed lung-dominant distribution and time-dependent metabolic responses, with acute purine perturbation followed by shifts in amino acid and nitrogen metabolism. Under an inhalation-relevant exposure setting established by intratracheal instillation, PS–PTCA was confined to the lungs and persisted for weeks, accompanied by sustained metabolic alterations. This work provides a practical MSI framework for directly mapping in vivo PS biodistribution, together with associated metabolic responses.
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Using advanced PET imaging, researchers tracked what happens to inhaled and injected micro and nanoplastics inside living mice for the first time. They found that nanoplastics largely avoided being captured by immune cells in the lungs and could travel to other organs, while both sizes accumulated heavily in the liver and spleen after entering the bloodstream. This study provides direct evidence that inhaled plastic particles can redistribute throughout the body, which is important for understanding how airborne microplastics might affect human health.
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Researchers used MALDI mass spectrometry imaging with ion mobility to map polystyrene particle distribution and lipid changes simultaneously across whole mouse body sections, revealing organ-specific metabolic responses — including signs of barrier disruption in the stomach, impaired lipid export in the liver, and disrupted sphingolipid metabolism in the heart — following oral PS exposure.
Comparison of PET tracing and biodistribution between 64Cu-labeled micro-and nano-polystyrene in a murine inhalation model
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Using advanced PET imaging in mice, researchers tracked where inhaled micro and nanoplastics traveled in the body and found that nano-sized particles cleared from the lungs much faster than micro-sized ones but accumulated more in the liver, spleen, and other organs. Micro-sized particles stayed in the lungs longer, with peak retention at 24 hours, while nano-sized particles spread quickly throughout the body. This is one of the first studies to directly visualize how inhaled plastic particles distribute through living mammals, confirming that smaller particles pose a greater risk of reaching organs beyond the lungs.
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