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Microplastics induced ileum damage: Morphological and immunohistochemical study
Summary
Researchers fed mice different concentrations of polyethylene microplastics for 15 days and found significant damage to the small intestine (ileum), including shortened villi, increased mucus-producing cells, and elevated markers of cell death. The damage was dose-dependent, with the highest concentration causing the most severe effects, and some damage persisted even after a 15-day recovery period. This study provides detailed evidence that microplastic ingestion can physically damage the gut lining in mammals.
Microplastics (MPs) are small pieces of plastic that are widely distributed in the environment and accumulate within living organisms, so they are the most common types of pollutants at the present time. One of the most widespread types of MP in the environment is polyethylene (PE) MPs. There have been many published studies on the effect of PE MPs combined with other pollutants or chemicals such as benzoanthracene, emamectin benzoate, heavy metals and 4-nonylphenol, on some marine, amphibian, and mouse models. However, research has rarely been conducted on how single-use PE MPs affect the ileum of mammals. The current study is focused on the impact of PE MP exposure with different concentration (6, 60, 600 μg/mL PE/MPs) for 15 days, followed by 15 days of recovery on small intestine(ileum) of C57BL/6 murine model with precision and detail at the cell level by using different technique (histology, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscope). Results demonstrated that the intestinal tissue exhibited nuclear pyknosis, villus deformation, shortness of villi, degeneration of lamina propria, hyperplasia of goblet cells, increase of goblet cells secretion, Alcian blue and Periodic acid-Schiff stain positivity of intact goblet cells, highly significance of P53 immunoreaction expression specially in high concentrations (600 μg/day of PE/MPs) and Ki-67 immunoreaction expression. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Different doses of microplastics (MPs) induced sever morphological alternations and clinical observations. MPs were deposits in cells and were observed in ultrastructure study. Recovery period able to ameliorate to the most extent the alternations caused by MPs administration.
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