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Short-term oral exposure to nanoplastics does not significantly impact the antiviral immune response of the mouse
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Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics orally for a short period and then assessed their immune response to viral infections. They found that nanoplastic exposure did not significantly impair the mice's ability to mount an antiviral immune defense, including T-cell and antibody responses. While reassuring for short-term exposure scenarios, the study notes that longer-term or higher-dose exposures still need investigation.
The increasing prevalence of nanoplastics (NPs) in the environment, particularly polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles, raises concerns regarding their potential impact on human and animal health. Given their small size, NPs can cross biological barriers and accumulate in organs, including those critical for immune functions. This study investigates the effects of short-term oral exposure to 100 and 500 nm PS NPs on the adaptive immune responses during viral infections in vivo, using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) as models. Male and female C57BL/6 mice were orally exposed to PS NP for a period of 28 days, during which they were infected with either VSV or LCMV to study the humoral and cellular responses, respectively. The humoral responses were assessed by measuring total and VSV-specific antibody levels, and splenic immune populations. T cell phenotypes, activation, exhaustion and functionality towards LCMV epitopes were studied as readouts of the cellular responses. Our results demonstrate that short-term NP exposure does not significantly affect the generation or neutralizing capacity of antibodies against VSV, nor the cellular responses directed against LCMV. These findings indicate that, under these conditions, PS NP exposure does not significantly compromise the adaptive immune responses during viral infections, underscoring the value of in vivo models.
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The Potential Immunotoxicity Induced by Long‐Term Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Rats
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Rats exposed to nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles) for three months showed weakened immune defenses and increased inflammation, along with damage to immune organs like the spleen and thymus. While this study was in rats, not humans, it raises concern about what long-term plastic exposure might do to our own immune systems.
In vivo impact assessment of orally administered polystyrene nanoplastics: biodistribution, toxicity, and inflammatory response in mice
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Researchers orally administered polystyrene nanoplastics to mice for two weeks and tracked their distribution and biological effects. The nanoplastics accumulated primarily in the intestine, kidneys, and liver, triggering significant inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in these organs despite no visible tissue damage. The study provides evidence that even short-term oral exposure to nanoplastics can cause meaningful inflammatory changes in multiple organ systems.
Neurobehavioral assessment of rats exposed to pristine polystyrene nanoplastics upon oral exposure
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Researchers orally dosed male rats with polystyrene nanoparticles at four doses for five weeks and found no statistically significant neurobehavioral effects across a battery of tests, though subtle trends such as increased open-arm exploration in the elevated plus maze suggest that even pristine nanoplastics may produce low-level behavioral signals warranting further investigation.
Short term exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics in mice evokes self-regulation of glycolipid metabolism
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Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics and UV-aged nanoplastics via oral gavage for seven days to evaluate short-term metabolic effects. The study found that even brief nanoplastic exposure triggered self-regulatory responses in hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism, suggesting that the body may mount compensatory metabolic adjustments in response to short-term nanoplastic intake.
Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces an anxiolytic-like effect, changes in antipredator defensive response, and DNA damage in Swiss mice
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Researchers exposed male Swiss mice to polystyrene nanoplastics at two doses over 20 days and assessed behavioral, neurological, and genetic effects. The study found that nanoplastic exposure induced anxiolytic-like behavior, altered antipredator defensive responses, and caused DNA damage in erythrocytes, suggesting that nanoplastics can affect mammalian brain function and genomic integrity.
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