Evaluation of effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on human in vitro intestinal and immune models of increasing complexity

Evaluation of intestinal toxicity of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics using intestinal organoids

Impact of Micro-nanoplastics on Gut and Immune Function

AI summary · Read the abstract

This review examined how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt gut microbiota and immune function across aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates, with implications for human health. Because the gut microbiome governs immune regulation and metabolic health, microplastic-induced dysbiosis represents a plausible mechanism by which plastic ingestion could drive systemic inflammation and disease beyond the GI tract.

Polystyrene microplastics: environmental presence, pathways, and biological impact

AI summary · Read the abstract

Researchers reviewed the environmental presence, transport pathways, and biological impacts of polystyrene microplastics, documenting how widespread food packaging use leads to pervasive contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and raises concerns for organismal and human health.

Cellular Uptake and Nuclear Accumulation of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in 3T3 Fibroblasts and Hepatocytes of Rattus norvegicus

AI summary · Read the abstract

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can get inside liver and connective tissue cells from rats, and even sneak into the cell's nucleus, where DNA is stored. Cells exposed to these plastics showed signs of stress and damage, including swelling and higher rates of cell death, suggesting these ultra-small plastic particles may be more harmful than previously thought. While this study used animal cells rather than human cells, it raises important questions about what everyday exposure to nanoplastics (found in food packaging, water, and other sources) might mean for our own cellular health.