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The in vitro gastrointestinal digestion-associated protein corona of polystyrene nano- and microplastics increases their uptake by human THP-1-derived macrophages
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When microplastics pass through the digestive system, stomach and intestinal proteins coat them in a layer called a "protein corona" that makes immune cells absorb the smallest particles up to six times more readily than undigested ones. This finding means that the body's own digestive process may actually increase how much microplastic gets taken up by immune cells, which is important for accurately assessing health risks from swallowed plastics.
BACKGROUND: Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) represent one of the most widespread environmental pollutants of the twenty-first century to which all humans are orally exposed. Upon ingestion, MNPs pass harsh biochemical conditions within the gastrointestinal tract, causing a unique protein corona on the MNP surface. Little is known about the digestion-associated protein corona and its impact on the cellular uptake of MNPs. Here, we systematically studied the influence of gastrointestinal digestion on the cellular uptake of neutral and charged polystyrene MNPs using THP-1-derived macrophages. RESULTS: The protein corona composition was quantified using LC‒MS-MS-based proteomics, and the cellular uptake of MNPs was determined using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Gastrointestinal digestion resulted in a distinct protein corona on MNPs that was retained in serum-containing cell culture medium. Digestion increased the uptake of uncharged MNPs below 500 nm by 4.0-6.1-fold but did not affect the uptake of larger sized or charged MNPs. Forty proteins showed a good correlation between protein abundance and MNP uptake, including coagulation factors, apolipoproteins and vitronectin. CONCLUSION: This study provides quantitative data on the presence of gastrointestinal proteins on MNPs and relates this to cellular uptake, underpinning the need to include the protein corona in hazard assessment of MNPs.
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The in vitro gastrointestinal digestion-associated protein corona of polystyrene nano- and microplastics increases their uptake by human THP-1-derived macrophages
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When polystyrene nano- and microplastics pass through simulated gastrointestinal digestion, they acquire a coating of gut proteins — a 'protein corona' — that dramatically increases their uptake by human immune cells (macrophages), boosting internalization of small neutral particles by up to six-fold compared to undigested plastic. The identity of the proteins driving this effect, including clotting factors and apolipoproteins, suggests that realistic dietary exposure conditions substantially change how microplastics interact with the body, and that lab tests using undigested plastics likely underestimate actual cellular uptake.
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Researchers studied how the human digestive process transforms polystyrene microplastics and affects their intestinal toxicity using in vitro Caco-2 cell models. The study found that digestion formed a corona on microplastic surfaces without altering their chemical composition, and that smaller particles (100 nm) showed higher toxicity than larger ones (5 micrometers) regardless of digestive treatment.
Fate of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in zebrafish liver cells: Influence of protein corona on transport, oxidative stress, and glycolipid metabolism
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Scientists studied how proteins in biological fluids coat nanoplastic particles (forming a "protein corona") and how this coating changes the way cells take up and process the plastics. The protein coating actually increased how many nanoplastics entered liver cells and made them harder to clear out, suggesting that once nanoplastics enter the bloodstream, the body's own proteins may make the contamination harder to eliminate.
Protein Corona-Directed Cellular Recognition and Uptake of Polyethylene Nanoplastics by Macrophages
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Scientists discovered that when polyethylene nanoplastics enter the bloodstream, they quickly become coated with blood proteins, and this protein coating determines how immune cells recognize and respond to them. High-density and low-density polyethylene attracted different protein coatings, leading to different immune responses from macrophages. This research helps explain how nanoplastics interact with the immune system once they enter the human body, which is key to understanding their potential health effects.
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Researchers examined how interaction with milk as a real food matrix and subsequent digestion affects the properties and toxicity of polystyrene microparticles. The study found that milk proteins form a corona on the particles that alters their surface charge and behavior, suggesting that the food context significantly influences how microplastics behave in the gastrointestinal tract.
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