We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Polystyrene microplastics with absorbed nonylphenol induce intestinal dysfunction in human Caco-2 cells
Summary
Researchers exposed human intestinal cells to polystyrene microplastics carrying the pollutant nonylphenol and found the combination caused oxidative stress, inflammation, and damage to the intestinal barrier. The damaged barrier allowed more microplastics to pass through, and the smallest particles (0.1 micrometers) acted as a "chemosensitizer" that made cells less able to detect and respond to other toxic substances over time. This study suggests that microplastics carrying absorbed pollutants could damage the gut lining and increase the body's vulnerability to other harmful chemicals in food and water.
Due to the massive production and use of plastic, the chronic and evolving exposure to microplastics in our daily lives is omnipresent. Nonylphenol (NP), a persistent organic pollutant, may change toxicity when it co-exists with microplastics. In this study, polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs), either alone or with pre-absorbed NP, generated oxidative stress and inflammatory lesions to Caco-2 cells, as well as affecting proliferation via the MAPK signaling pathway and causing apoptosis. Damage to cell membrane integrity and intestinal barrier (marked by lower transepithelial electric resistance, greater bypass transport, and tight junction structural changes) leads to enhanced internalization risk of PS-MPs. Some important intestinal functions including nutrient absorption and xenobiotic protection were also harmed. It is worth noting that the exposure of PS-MPs with a diameter of 0.1 μm improved intestinal functions quickly but acted as a chemosensitizer for a long time, inhibiting cell perception of other toxic substances and making the cells more vulnerable.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Adsorption Behavior of Nonylphenol on Polystyrene Microplastics and Their Cytotoxicity in Human Caco-2 Cells
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics adsorb the endocrine disruptor nonylphenol and evaluated the cytotoxicity of the combined system in human intestinal Caco-2 cells. Smaller microplastic particles (0.1 micrometers) had greater nonylphenol adsorption capacity, and both the microplastics and nonylphenol together were more cytotoxic than either alone.
Ingested Polystyrene Micro-Nanoplastics Increase the Absorption of Co-Ingested Arsenic and Boscalid in an In Vitro Triculture Small Intestinal Epithelium Model
Researchers used an advanced intestinal cell model to study whether ingesting polystyrene micro-nanoplastics alongside environmental pollutants like arsenic and boscalid changes how those contaminants are absorbed. They found that the presence of microplastics significantly increased the intestinal uptake of both co-ingested pollutants. The study suggests that microplastics may act as carriers that enhance human exposure to other harmful chemicals through the diet.
Benzo [a] pyrene-loaded aged polystyrene microplastics promote colonic barrier injury via oxidative stress-mediated notch signalling
Researchers found that aged polystyrene microplastics loaded with benzo[a]pyrene, a common environmental carcinogen, caused significantly more damage to the colon lining in mice than clean microplastics. The contaminated particles triggered oxidative stress, inflammation, and disrupted the protective barrier of the intestine through a specific cell signaling pathway. This suggests that real-world microplastics, which commonly carry absorbed toxic chemicals, may be more harmful to gut health than pristine lab particles.
Polystyrene microplastic-induced oxidative stress triggers intestinal barrier dysfunction via the NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1β/MCLK pathway
Mice that swallowed polystyrene microplastics for 28 days developed oxidative stress and inflammation in their colons, leading to a weakened intestinal barrier with reduced protective mucus and loosened cell connections. The largest microplastics (5 micrometers) caused the most severe gut damage through a specific inflammatory pathway (NF-kB/NLRP3/MLCK), and antioxidant treatment was able to partially reverse the effects.
Effects of bisphenol A and nanoscale and microscale polystyrene plastic exposure on particle uptake and toxicity in human Caco-2 cells
Researchers studied how human intestinal Caco-2 cells take up polystyrene plastic particles of five different sizes ranging from 300 nanometers to 6 micrometers. The study found that smaller particles were taken up at higher rates and that co-exposure with bisphenol A increased cellular toxicity, suggesting that nanoscale plastics may pose a greater risk to human intestinal cells than larger microplastics.