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Enriched microplastic-associated biofilms exacerbate gut microbial dysbiosis and metabolic disruption in mice
Summary
Microplastics floating in water and sediment don't just carry plastic, they also host slimy microbial communities (biofilms) that pack extra antibiotic-resistance genes and disease-causing traits. When mice ate these microplastic-associated biofilms, it disrupted their gut bacteria, weakened the gut's protective barrier, and altered digestive chemistry linked to inflammation. While this was tested in mice, not humans, it's an early warning sign that microplastics may be a hidden vehicle for harmful bacteria that could mess with our gut health, not just the plastic particles themselves.
Microplastics (MPs) and opportunistic pathogens are recognized as emerging environmental hazards, yet the health risks associated with mammalian exposure to biofilms enriched on MP surfaces remain poorly characterized. This study evaluated the characteristics of microbial biofilms enriched on MPs from aquatic and sediment matrices over 12 weeks and assessed their potential health impacts using a murine mammalian model. Metagenomic profiling showed that the enriched biofilms exhibited alterations in community composition, accompanied by an overrepresentation of genes associated with antibiotic resistance, iron acquisition, and virulence traits. In the murine model, dietary exposure to the MP-associated biofilms coincided with changes in host intestinal inflammatory markers and a distinct shift in the gut microbiota profile. Metabolomic analysis further revealed synchronous alterations in extracellular and fecal metabolite profiles, including profiles linked to secondary bile acid pathways, alongside a downregulation of intestinal barrier tight junction markers. These parallel taxonomic and metabolic shifts indicate that environmental biofilms enriched on microplastics can provoke complex physiological responses in a mammalian host. This study provides a valuable framework for assessing the potential mammalian health risks posed by plastisphere-associated microbial complexes.