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Metabolomics reveals lipid metabolic disruption in frogs exposed to tire wear particle leachates
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Chemicals that leach out of tire particles (tiny bits of rubber worn off tires that wash into waterways) caused frogs' livers to build up excess fat and disrupted how their cells produce energy. While this study was done in frogs rather than humans, it adds to growing evidence that tire particle pollution, now widespread in water, soil, and air, may affect liver and metabolic health in animals, raising questions about what similar exposures could mean for people.
Tire wear particle (TWP) contribute considerably to microplastic contamination in aquatic environments and are increasingly recognized as emerging contaminants of ecological concern. However, their effects on lipid metabolism in amphibians remain unclear. In this study, adult male black-spotted frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) were exposed for 21 days to TWP leachates at concentrations of 0, 0.0005, 0.005, 0.05, and 0.5 mg/mL. The results showed that TWP leachate exposure significantly induced hepatic lipid droplet accumulation. Additionally, significant increases were observed in the hepatosomatic index and hepatic lipid parameters, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Untargeted LC-MS-based metabolomics further revealed significant changes in hepatic metabolites after TWP exposure. Pathway analysis showed significant disruption of energy metabolism (TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation) and lipid metabolism (glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid pathways). These results suggest that TWP leachates may induce hepatic lipid accumulation associated with disturbances in mitochondrial energy metabolism. Our findings provide new insights into the hepatotoxic effects of TWP in amphibians.
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Tire wear particle leachate-induced hepatotoxicity in Carassius auratus: Associations with gut microbiota dysbiosis and lipid metabolism disorder
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Chemicals leaching from tire wear particles (tiny bits of rubber that wash off roads into waterways) caused liver damage, gut bacteria imbalances, and disrupted fat metabolism in fish exposed to environmentally realistic levels over 28 days. While this study was done in fish, not humans, it's a warning sign worth watching, tire particles are a widespread and growing pollutant in our water systems, and this research suggests they could harm the health of aquatic life we may eventually eat or interact with, making it worth understanding how these hidden pollutants move through the environment.
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Tire wear particles, a major but underappreciated source of microplastic pollution, leached chemicals into seawater that inhibited algae growth, caused developmental problems in zebrafish embryos, and showed hormone-disrupting effects in cell tests. The study found that water-soluble organic compounds from tires -- not just heavy metals like zinc -- were the primary drivers of toxicity, underscoring the need for better regulation of tire additives.
Integrated multi-omics of gut-liver axis to dissect the mechanism underlying hepatotoxicity induced by sub-chronic tire wear particles exposure in mice
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Researchers gavaged female mice with tire wear particles (a major microplastic source) at three doses and performed integrated gut-liver multi-omics analysis, finding that sub-chronic exposure disrupted lipid metabolism, promoted liver inflammation, and altered gut microbial communities in a dose-dependent manner.
Tire-Derived Microplastics as Chemically Complex Environmental Contaminants: Mechanistic Pathways, Exposure Gradients, and Implications for Environmental Health.
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Every time tires wear down on the road, they release tiny plastic and chemical particles into the air, water, and soil, and this review pulls together existing research showing these particles carry a toxic mix of chemicals linked to inflammation, blood vessel damage, and stress on the body's systems. People living near busy roads may face the highest exposure, raising concerns about long-term risks for heart and metabolic disease, though scientists say more direct research is needed to confirm exactly how much harm this causes in humans.
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