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Impact of nanoplastics on Alzheimer ’s disease: Enhanced amyloid-β peptide aggregation and augmented neurotoxicity
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Researchers found that even very low concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics can speed up the clumping of amyloid-beta protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and increase its toxicity to brain cells. The hydrophobic (water-repelling) surface of the nanoplastics helps the proteins stick together faster, suggesting a potential link between environmental nanoplastic exposure and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Nanoplastics, widely existing in the environment and organisms, have been proven to cross the blood-brain barrier, increasing the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, current studies mainly focus on the neurotoxicity of nanoplastics themselves, neglecting their synergistic effects with other biomolecules and the resulting neurotoxicity. Amyloid β peptide (Aβ), which triggers neurotoxicity through its self-aggregation, is the paramount pathogenic protein in AD. Here, employing polystyrene nanoparticles (PS) as a model for nanoplastics, we reveal that 100 pM PS nanoparticles significantly accelerate the nucleation rate of two Aβ subtypes (Aβ and Aβ) at low concentrations, promoting the formation of more Aβ oligomers and leading to evident neurotoxicity. The hydrophobic surface of PS facilitates the interaction of hydrophobic fragments between Aβ monomers, responsible for the augmented neurotoxicity. This work provides consequential insights into the modulatory impact of low-dose PS on Aβ aggregation and the ensuing neurotoxicity, presenting a valuable foundation for future research on the intricate interplay between environmental toxins and brain diseases.
More Papers Like This
Microglial clearance of Alzheimer's amyloid-beta obstructed by nanoplastics
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Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics interfere with the brain's ability to clear amyloid-beta, the protein that builds up in Alzheimer's disease. The nanoplastics accelerated amyloid clumping and drained the energy of brain immune cells that normally clean up these harmful proteins. This study suggests that nanoplastic exposure could worsen or contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Nanoplastics forming micro-sized agglomerates and exacerbating neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease
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Tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) can stick to the sticky amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's disease, clumping together into larger particles that build up in the brain. In lab and mouse studies, this combo made brain cells more stressed and damaged, and worsened Alzheimer's-like symptoms in mice. This suggests that everyday plastic exposure—from food, water, and other sources—could potentially make Alzheimer's disease worse, though more research is needed to confirm this happens the same way in humans.
DMSP for 'Quantitative Assessment of Nanoplastics in Alzheimer's Disease Brain and Their Role in Amyloid-β Aggregation'
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Researchers quantitatively assessed nanoplastic contamination in Alzheimer's disease brain tissue and investigated whether nanoplastics play a role in amyloid-beta aggregation. The study suggests that nanoplastics, now ubiquitous in the environment and present in drinking water and food, may represent an environmental factor that could modify Alzheimer's disease pathology by interacting with amyloid-beta protein aggregation.
The Effect of Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanoplastics on Amyloid-β Peptide Fibrillation
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Researchers investigated whether PET nanoplastics (50 nm and 140 nm) affect the fibrillation of amyloid-beta peptides associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology. PET nanoplastics at concentrations of 10–100 ppm influenced Aβ aggregation kinetics in a size- and concentration-dependent manner, adding to evidence that nanoplastics reaching the brain may modulate neurodegenerative protein aggregation.
The Effect of Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanoplastics on Amyloid-β Peptide Fibrillation
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Lab experiments showed that PET nanoplastics, the type found in plastic bottles and clothing, accelerated the clumping of amyloid-beta proteins, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Smaller nanoplastics (50 nm) had a stronger effect than larger ones, cutting the time for protein clumping nearly in half. While this is a test-tube study, it raises the question of whether nanoplastics that reach the brain could potentially speed up the development of Alzheimer's-related protein buildup.
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