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Polystyrene microplastics induce activation and cell death of neutrophils through strong adherence and engulfment
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Researchers found that neutrophils (key immune cells that fight infections) strongly bind to and swallow polystyrene microplastics, mistaking them for bacteria. This triggers inflammation and eventually kills the neutrophils, and the same response was confirmed in both mouse and human immune cells. The findings suggest that microplastics accumulating in the body could weaken immune defenses by destroying these important infection-fighting cells.
Ingested microplastics (MPs) can accumulate throughout whole body, which may induce the dysfunction of immune system. However, it remains unclear how MP exposure affects innate immune responses at the cellular level. We found that mouse neutrophils strongly bind and then engulf polystyrene MPs. This interaction leads to proinflammatory state of neutrophils and eventually results in apoptotic cell death through toll-like receptor signaling pathway in a bacteria-recognition mimetic manner. Moreover, our data verified that orally administered polystyrene MPs reach various organs in mice, where they are interacted with and endocytosed by neutrophils. We confirmed that human neutrophils also strongly bind and internalize polystyrene MPs. Additionally, RNA sequencing analysis of polystyrene MPs-exposed human neutrophils showed the upregulation of cell death-related function. Therefore, the accumulated MPs may exacerbate inflammatory immune response by disrupting neutrophil function. These results provide novel insight into the adverse responses of neutrophils induced by MP exposure.
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Polystyrene microplastics induce an immunometabolic active state in macrophages
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics taken up by macrophages — immune cells lining the gut and lungs — triggered a metabolic shift toward an inflammatory state. This finding suggests microplastics reaching human tissues may alter immune function in ways that could contribute to inflammation-related diseases.
Toxicological profiling of polystyrene microplastics in raw 264.7 macrophages: Linking microplastic exposure to immune cell impairment
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Researchers exposed immune cells called macrophages to polystyrene microplastics and found that the cells rapidly absorbed the particles within two hours. Higher concentrations caused mitochondrial damage, disrupted cellular recycling processes, and triggered inflammation-related signaling. The study provides evidence that microplastics can impair the function of key immune cells responsible for defending the body against foreign threats.
Polystyrene microplastics induce an immunometabolic active state in macrophages
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Researchers investigated how macrophages, the immune cells that act as first-line defense in the gut and lungs, respond metabolically to polystyrene microplastic particles. The study found that phagocytosis of microplastics induced an immunometabolic active state in macrophages, suggesting that microplastic exposure may alter immune cell metabolism in ways relevant to understanding potential health effects.
Top-down generated microplastics differentially induce neutrophil cell death associated with phagocytosis
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Tiny plastic particles from everyday sources like PVC pipes and polyester (PET) can be swallowed up by neutrophils, white blood cells that act as your body's first line of defense against germs. When these immune cells "eat" the plastic bits, it can trigger their death, and in some cases, a type of cell death linked to inflammation, especially with certain plastic types and sizes. Since neutrophils can't actually break down plastic like they would bacteria, this research suggests microplastics circulating in our blood may quietly stress and disrupt our immune system's frontline defenders, though more research is needed to understand what this means for long
Microplastics cross the murine intestine and induce inflammatory cell death after phagocytosis by human monocytes and neutrophils
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Researchers administered polystyrene microplastics orally to mice and then assessed distribution and immune cell interactions in both mice and human cells. Both 1 µm and 10 µm particles crossed the intestinal epithelium and were detected in blood and liver after 10 days, and human monocytes and neutrophils that ingested the particles underwent inflammatory cell death.
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