We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Aged polystyrene microplastics exacerbate alopecia associated with tight junction injuries and apoptosis via oxidative stress pathway in skin
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics, especially those aged by UV light, caused hair loss and skin damage in mice by triggering oxidative stress that broke down the tight junctions (seals between skin cells) and activated cell death pathways. This study provides early evidence that microplastic pollution could contribute to skin conditions and hair loss, particularly from weathered plastics that are more toxic than fresh ones.
Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive pollutants in the natural environment and contribute to increased levels of illness in both animals and humans. However, thespecific impacts of MPs on skin damage and alopeciaare not yet well understood. In this study, we have examined the effects of two types of polystyrene MPs (pristine and aged) on skin and hair follicle damage in mice. UV irradiation changed the chemical and physical properties of the aged MPs, including functional groups, surface roughness, and contact angles. In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, skin and cell injuries related to oxidative stress, apoptosis, tight junctions (TJs), alopecia, mitochondrial dysfunction, and other damages were observed. Mechanistically, MPs and aged MPs can induce TJs damage via the oxidative stress pathway and inhibition of antioxidant-related proteins, and this can lead to alopecia. The regulation of cell apoptosis was also observed, and this is involved in the ROS-mediated mitochondrial signaling pathway. Importantly, aged MPs showed exacerbated toxicity, which may be due to their elevated surface irregularities and altered chemical compositions. Collectively, this study suggests a potential therapeutic approach for alopecia and hair follicle damage caused by MPs pollution.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics and Skin Aging: Disruption of Barrier Function and Induction of Fibroblast Senescence
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect skin health using lab-grown skin cells and gene expression analysis. They found that microplastic exposure disrupted the skin's protective barrier by inhibiting normal skin cell development and accelerated aging in the deeper skin layer by triggering cellular senescence. The study suggests that microplastics may contribute to premature skin aging and weakened skin barrier function, adding to the growing understanding of how these particles affect human health.
Physiological and Histological Characterization of Chemically Induced Nanoplastic Forced Skin Aging in Mice
AI summary Read the abstract
In a mouse study, tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) combined with an aging-accelerating chemical caused significantly worse skin damage than either factor alone, weakening the skin's protective barrier, drying it out, and triggering inflammation and cell-damaging stress. This suggests that everyday exposure to nanoplastics, which are increasingly found in our environment, could speed up skin aging and harm skin health, especially when combined with other stressors our skin already faces.
Photoaging of polystyrene microspheres causes oxidative alterations to surface physicochemistry and enhances airway epithelial toxicity
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers aged polystyrene microplastics with UV light and then tested their effects on human lung cells. They found that UV-weathered particles caused more pronounced biological responses than fresh ones, including cell cycle disruption, altered cell shape, and impaired wound healing. The study suggests that environmental aging of airborne microplastics may increase their potential to harm respiratory tissues.
Aged polystyrene microplastics exposure affects apoptosis via inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in early life of zebrafish
AI summary Read the abstract
Zebrafish embryos exposed to UV-aged polystyrene microplastics at environmental concentrations showed more severe developmental problems than those exposed to fresh microplastics. The aged particles caused greater oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage, triggering increased cell death during early development -- suggesting that weathered microplastics in the real environment may be more harmful than the pristine particles typically used in lab studies.
Enhancement of biological effects of oxidised nano- and microplastics in human professional phagocytes
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how virgin and environmentally aged polystyrene nano- and microplastics affect human immune cells (monocytes and macrophages). The study found that oxidized particles, which simulate environmental aging, caused significantly greater DNA damage and oxidative stress than virgin particles, suggesting that weathered plastics in the environment may pose higher health risks.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.