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Polystyrene nanoplastics induce apoptosis of human kidney proximal tubular epithelial cells via oxidative stress and MAPK signaling pathways
Summary
Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics cause programmed cell death in human kidney tubular cells through oxidative stress and activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. The toxic effects were dependent on both the size and dose of the nanoplastics, with smaller particles causing more damage. The study identifies specific molecular mechanisms by which nanoplastics may contribute to kidney cell injury.
Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) have recently been found to be present in human blood and kidney. However, the renal toxicity of PS-NPs and the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here, we found that exposure of PS-NPs induced apoptosis of human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) in a size- and dose-dependent manner as revealed by AnnexinV-FITC assay. In addition, PS-NPs promoted ROS production and caused structure changes of mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum. Mechanistically, transcriptional sequencing indicated the involvement of MAPK pathway in apoptosis, which was further confirmed by the upregulation of p-p38, p-ERK, CHOP, BAX, cytochrome C, and caspase 3 expression. This study clarified the molecular mechanism underlying PS-NP-induced apoptosis in HK-2 cells and contributed to our risk estimation of PS-NPs in human kidney.