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Microplastic Exposure Promotes Amyloid Misfolding and Metabolic Impairment at Sub-Lethal Doses in an In Vitro Cellular Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
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Researchers exposed cellular models of Alzheimer's disease to sub-lethal polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics and monitored amyloid protein misfolding and metabolic impairment using photothermal microscopy. Even low-dose plastic exposure promoted amyloid aggregation and disrupted cellular energy metabolism, suggesting microplastics may accelerate the molecular processes underlying Alzheimer's pathology.
ABSTRACT Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants with increasing implications for human health. While their presence in human tissues is established, the molecular mechanisms driving their potential neurotoxicity remain unclear. This study investigates the impact of polystyrene (PS) on amyloid protein misfolding and cellular metabolism using Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy, a label-free, sub-diffraction imaging technique. Our results reveal that PS exposure promotes pathological protein misfolding, specifically increasing β-sheet-rich conformations, and disrupts metabolic homeostasis at sub-lethal doses. These suggest that the microplastic surface acts as a catalytic scaffold for amyloid aggregation, driving cellular dysfunction prior to acute toxicity. This identifies a plausible molecular pathway by which environmental MNP pollution contributes to the risk and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the need for risk assessments that look beyond simple cell survival.
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Polystyrene nanoplastic exposure promotes amyloid misfolding and metabolic impairment at sublethal doses. A subcellular infrared imaging study
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Sub-diffraction O-PTIR infrared imaging revealed that polystyrene nanoplastics penetrate cells at sublethal doses and promote pathological amyloid-beta protein misfolding associated with neurodegenerative disease. This finding raises serious concern about nanoplastic exposure as a potential contributor to metabolic and neurological impairment at environmentally relevant concentrations.
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.
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