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Efficacy of DHA-enriched phosphatidylserine and its underlying mechanism in alleviating polystyrene nanoplastics-induced hepatotoxicity in mice
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This study found that a nutrient derived from marine sources, DHA-enriched phosphatidylserine, could protect mouse livers from damage caused by polystyrene nanoplastics. The nanoplastics disrupted gut bacteria and caused liver inflammation, but the DHA compound helped restore gut health and reduce liver injury. This research suggests that certain dietary supplements might help counteract some of the harmful effects of nanoplastic exposure on the digestive system.
OBJECTIVE: Plastic pollution has become a global pollution problem that cannot be ignored. As the main destination of human oral intake, the toxic effects of plastic on the digestive system represented by the intestine and liver are the focus of current research. Marine-derived DHA-PS has a variety of biological activities, mainly focusing on improving brain function and regulating lipid metabolism. However, whether it has an improvement effect on PS-NPs-induced hepato-intestinal injury and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. METHODS: A murine liver injury model was established by gavage of PS-NPs for six weeks. By integrating approaches from lipidomics, transcriptomics, and gut microbiota analysis, the molecular mechanism by which DHA-PS alleviates PS-NPs-induced murine hepatotoxicity was explored through the "gut-liver axis". RESULTS: Our findings reveal that prolonged exposure to PS-NPs results in significant murine liver damage and dysfunction, characterized by increased oxidative stress and inflammation, along with exacerbated hepatic lipid accumulation. Mechanistically, PS-NPs disrupt the hepatic SIRT1-AMPK pathway by suppressing the expression of SIRT1, AMPKα, and PPARα, while enhancing the expression of SREBP-1c, ultimately leading to disordered hepatic lipid metabolism. The sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolic pathways were particularly affected. Additionally, in agreement with transcriptomic analyses, PS-NPs activate the hepatic TLR4/NF-κB pathway. At the same time, exposure to PS-NPs decreases the expression of ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1, diminishes the relative abundance of beneficial gut bacteria (norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Akkermansia, and norank_f_norank_o_Clostridia_UCG-014), and increases the prevalence of pathogenic gut bacteria (Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002 and Desulfovibrio), exacerbating liver injury through the gut-liver axis. However, administering DHA-PS (50 mg/kg) effectively alleviated these injuries. CONCLUSION: This study was the first to employ multi-omics techniques to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying hepatotoxicity induced by PS-NPs, thereby supporting the use of DHA-PS as a dietary supplement to mitigate the effects of nanoplastic pollutants.
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Investigation of nephrotoxicity on mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics and the potential amelioration effects of DHA-enriched phosphatidylserine
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In mice, 100 nanometer polystyrene nanoplastics caused kidney toxicity through inflammation, oxidative stress and disturbed lipid metabolism. Mice given DHA-enriched phosphatidylserine had lower inflammatory markers and higher antioxidant enzyme activity in the kidney. The authors report this as the first study of the compound in this model.
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