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Preferred Lung Accumulation of Polystyrene Nanoplastics with Negative Charges
Summary
Researchers investigated why certain nanoplastics preferentially accumulate in the lungs after entering the bloodstream. They found that negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics attract specific blood proteins that promote uptake by lung blood vessel cells through a receptor-mediated pathway. The study suggests that the protein coating nanoplastics acquire in the blood plays a critical role in determining where they end up in the body.
With the increasing presence of nanoplastics (NPs) in the human bloodstream, it is urgent to investigate their tissue accumulation and potential health risks. This study examines the effects of the size and surface charges of polystyrene (PS) NPs on lung accumulation. Using magnetic separation, we identified the protein corona composition on iron-core PS NPs, revealing the enrichment of vitronectin and fibrinogen. The corona promotes integrin αIIbβ3 receptor-mediated uptake by lung endothelial cells, explaining that both the corona composition and protein structure determine preferred localization of negatively charged PS NPs in the lung. This study uncovers the role of protein corona in NP uptake and the way NPs enter the lung, emphasizing the need to consider interactions between nanoplastics with varying surface characteristics and biological molecules in the nanotoxicological field.