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Microplastic exposure and obesity-related metabolic dysfunction: A proposed gut microbiota-metabolite framework.
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This review paper summarizes existing research on how microplastics eaten with food might affect gut bacteria, gut lining health, and body fat in animal studies and lab cell experiments. It suggests microplastics could disrupt gut microbes and cause inflammation linked to obesity-related problems, but notes gaps in long-term testing and uncertainty about applying findings across species.
Microplastics (MPs), as emerging global contaminants, have infiltrated aquatic systems, soil, and food chains, raising concerns about their health risks, particularly their potential link to metabolic disorders like obesity. This review evaluates evidence that MP exposure may influence host energy metabolism and adipogenesis and examines the potential involvement of the gut microbiota and its metabolites. Dietary MP exposure can alter microbial communities and associated metabolic pathways. Such dysbiosis may impair intestinal barrier integrity, trigger chronic inflammation, and promote adipose dysfunction, thereby potentially contributing to obesity-related metabolic disturbances. We synthesize findings from animal studies, in vitro models, and multi-omics approaches, highlighting the roles of MP physicochemical properties, exposure dose, and duration in obesity-related metabolic effects. Current limitations include insufficient long-term assessments at environmentally relevant concentrations, uncertainties in cross-species extrapolation, and unclear interactions with co-pollutants. Future studies could combine organ-on-a-chip (OoC) models with microbial and host single-cell or spatial approaches to test microbiota-host crosstalk. Overall, this review synthesizes emerging evidence on the potential links between MP exposure and adipogenesis dysregulation and identifies priorities for future mechanistic research and risk assessment.
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Microplastics as Microbiota Modulators: Rewiring the Gut Metabolism Immune Axis.
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This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics may affect gut bacteria, the gut's protective lining, and digestive chemical signals, mostly based on animal and lab cell studies. These changes were linked to inflammation and disrupted metabolism in those studies, but human evidence remains limited, and researchers call for more standardized studies.
Microplastics, Gut Microbiota, and Obesity: An Emerging Environmental Health Concern
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This review summarizes existing research on microplastics found in human feces, tissues, water and air. In animal studies, swallowed microplastics reduced gut microbe diversity, increased harmful bacteria and disrupted gut barriers, linked to inflammation and altered fat metabolism. Limited human studies suggest possible links between fecal microplastics, plastic packaging use, gut microbe changes and higher BMI, though more research is needed.
Are microplastics in food a risk factor for obesity: Current evidence, mechanistic pathways and emerging health risks associated with human exposure
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This review examines the emerging evidence linking microplastic and nanoplastic exposure to metabolic dysfunction and potential obesity risk. Researchers found that these particles have been detected in multiple human tissues and may contribute to inflammation, hormonal disruption, gut microbiome changes, and altered fat cell development. While animal and laboratory studies support a plausible connection, the study notes that direct evidence in humans is still limited and further research is needed.
How do microplastics affect the composition and function of gut microbiota?
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics may disrupt gut microbiota composition and metabolic function, noting that while dysbiosis is a likely outcome of exposure, the full scope of these effects in humans remains understudied.
How do microplastics affect the composition and function of gut microbiota?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how microplastics may disrupt gut microbiota composition and metabolic function, noting that while dysbiosis is a likely outcome of exposure, the full extent of these effects in humans remains poorly characterized and understudied.
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