We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Nanoplastics induces Arrhythmia in Human Stem-cells derived Cardiomyocytes
AI summary Read the abstract
Exposing human embryonic stem cell-derived heart muscle cells to nanoplastics for up to seven days caused dose-dependent oxidative stress, increased cell death, and — by day seven — abnormal electrical activity consistent with cardiac arrhythmia. These findings provide the first direct evidence using human heart cells that nanoplastic accumulation can disrupt cardiac function, raising important questions about long-term cardiovascular risks from plastic particle exposure in people.
Abstract Plastic has become an ubiquitous environmental pollutant and nanoplastics (NPs) that are within the size range of 1nm to 1000nm could form upon weathering. Considering its sheer size, NPs are speculated to be more hazardous than their larger counterparts. Despite the growing concern, there is still limited understanding on the effects of NPs on human heart. Therefore, we aim to utilise human embryonic stem cells-derived-cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) to investigate the effects related to the uptake and accumulation of NPs in human heart. Firstly, more mature CMs were generated to better recapitulate the effects of NPs in adulthood. NPs effects were then elucidated over 3, 5 and 7 days of NPs treatment. The size-dependent uptake and accumulation of NPs was then established in CMs. Generally, oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress was upregulated in CMs in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, a rise in apoptosis was noted on all timepoints and was significant on day 7. Correspondingly, arrhythmia was also induced by day 7 of NPs treatment. Overall, our findings suggested that an exposure and accumulation of nanoplastics within hESC-CMs leads to oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress and decreased cell viability, resulting in an arrhythmic phenotype.
More Papers Like This
Nanoplastics induces arrhythmia in human stem-cells derived cardiomyocytes
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed human cardiomyocytes derived from stem cells to nanoplastic particles and observed dose-dependent uptake, oxidative stress, and arrhythmias developing by day seven. Complementary experiments in mice revealed that nanoplastics disrupted RNA processing and protein folding in heart tissue, leading to cellular stress and impaired electrical signaling. The study provides evidence that nanoplastic exposure may pose direct risks to heart rhythm and function.
Toxicity of long term exposure to low dose polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed human heart cells grown from stem cells to very low doses of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics over an extended period and found that the particles reduced the cells' ability to contract and disrupted their electrical signaling. The smaller nanoplastics (50 nm) caused more severe damage than the larger microplastics (1 micrometer), including increased cell death and calcium handling problems. This study provides direct evidence that even low-level microplastic exposure could harm human heart function.
Dissection of the potential mechanism of polystyrene microplastic exposure on cardiomyocytes
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect human heart muscle cells at concentrations reflecting estimated daily human intake levels. They found that the microplastics caused oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disrupted calcium signaling in the cells. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may contribute to cardiovascular risks by directly damaging heart cell function at the cellular level.
Embryonic exposure of polystyrene nanoplastics affects cardiac development
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics disrupted the development of heart cells grown from human embryonic stem cells, producing smaller and weaker heart tissue in the lab. The nanoplastics caused oxidative stress in mitochondria and blocked important cellular cleanup processes, reducing the stem cells' ability to properly form heart cells. In zebrafish embryos, nanoplastic exposure also reduced heart contractions and blood flow, suggesting that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy could pose risks to fetal heart development.
Polystyrene nanoplastics trigger mitochondrial and metabolic reprogramming in cardiomyocytes: Evidence from integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can damage heart cells by disrupting their powerhouses (mitochondria) and reducing their ability to produce energy. When researchers exposed human heart cells and mice to these nanoplastics, they observed weakened heart function and signs of early heart damage. This research suggests that the growing amount of microscopic plastic pollution in our environment could pose previously unknown risks to heart health.
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.