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Effects of Microplastics on the Intestinal Barrier, Gut Microbiota and Antibiotic Resistance Genes: A Mini-Review
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This review examines how microplastics affect the intestinal barrier, gut microbiota, and antibiotic resistance gene profiles. Researchers found that while microplastics reduced the bioaccumulation of certain antibiotics like tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole, they enhanced the effects on gut microbial communities and the antibiotic resistome, suggesting potential risks from combined microplastic and antibiotic exposure.
Microplastics (MPs) have aroused a global health concern and their coexistence with antibiotics is inevitable. However, how MPs would affect the bioaccumulation and risks of antibiotics in humans remains poorly understood. In this study, we reviewed several articles that examined the abundance and expression changes of ARGs in various environments. These changes were observed upon exposure to antibiotics such as tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and macrolides, as well as MPs, or a combination of both. To assess the impact of MPs on ARG abundance, we compiled data from various studies using tables of ARG abundances in tissues or environmental samples. By synthesizing this information, we aimed to identify which ARGs were upregulated or downregulated in response to micronanoplastics and antibiotics. Our findings provide insights into the potential risks posed by environmental pollutants and underscore the importance of understanding the dynamics of ARGs in response to MPs. We identified that shifts in gut microbiota contributed to the changes in ARG profiles. Combined, our results demonstrate that MPs reduced the bioaccumulation of tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and macrolides, but they enhanced its effects on gut microbiota and the antibiotic resistome indicating they might have high risks to humans.
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This review explored how microplastics interact with bacteria in the human gut microbiome, examining evidence that plastic particles can alter microbial community composition, enable colonization by pathogens, and facilitate horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. The gut microbiome appears to be a significant site of microplastic-microorganism interaction.
Exposure to microplastics reduces the bioaccumulation of sulfamethoxazole but enhances its effects on gut microbiota and the antibiotic resistome of mice
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Researchers used a mouse model to study how microplastics affect the bioaccumulation and health impacts of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole. While microplastics reduced the overall tissue accumulation of the antibiotic, they enhanced its disruptive effects on gut microbiota and increased antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that microplastics may alter how pharmaceuticals interact with the body in ways that could promote antimicrobial resistance.
Microplastics—The Microbiota Interactions: Mechanisms, Multi-Omics Insights and Health Implications
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics interact with microbial communities across terrestrial, aquatic, and gut environments, synthesizing evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and environmental studies showing that MP exposure drives dysbiosis, impairs immune function, and accelerates the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.
Microplastics Versus Microbiome: The Infantile Gut’s Battle for Health
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This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics disrupt the developing gut microbiome in infants, covering potential effects on microbial stabilization, antibiotic resistance gene transfer through biofilm formation, and implications for long-term metabolic and immune health.
Effects of microplastics and tetracycline induced intestinal damage, intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, and antibiotic resistome: metagenomic analysis in young mice
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Young mice exposed to both polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline suffered worse intestinal damage than those exposed to either pollutant alone. The combination severely disrupted the gut barrier, altered gut bacteria, and increased antibiotic resistance genes in the intestines. This is especially concerning for children, whose developing gut systems may be more vulnerable to the combined effects of microplastics and antibiotics commonly found in the environment.
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