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Melatonin Alleviates Intestinal Barrier Damaging Effects Induced by Polyethylene Microplastics in Albino Rats

International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2023 17 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 55 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Walaa Bayoumie El Gazzar, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Amina A. Farag Amina A. Farag Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Rania E. Sliem, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Rania E. Sliem, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Heba Bayoumi, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Rania E. Sliem, Rania E. Sliem, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Heba Bayoumi, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Shaimaa E. Radwaan, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Walaa Bayoumie El Gazzar, Walaa Bayoumie El Gazzar, Hend Elsayed Nasr, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Hend Elsayed Nasr, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Manar Shabanah, Heba Morsi, Manar Shabanah, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Hend Elsayed Nasr, Amira Elalfy, Amira Elalfy, Hend Elsayed Nasr, Shaimaa E. Radwaan, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Heba M. Mansour, Mohammed A. Gebba, Mohammed A. Gebba, Shaimaa E. Radwaan, Heba M. Mansour, Amira Elalfy, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Amira Elalfy, Amul M. Badr, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Marwa Fathy Amer, Marwa Fathy Amer, Sara S. Ashour, Sara S. Ashour, Heba Morsi, Heba Morsi, Rania E. Sliem, Rania E. Sliem, El Shaimaa Ahmed Fahmy Aboelkomsan, El Shaimaa Ahmed Fahmy Aboelkomsan, Bodour Baioumy, Bodour Baioumy, Alaa El‐Din H. Sayed, Amina A. Farag

Summary

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics damaged the intestinal barrier in rats by causing inflammation, reducing protective mucus, and disrupting the tight junctions between gut cells. The damage was more severe at higher doses and included changes in gut bacteria composition. The study also found that melatonin treatment helped protect against these intestinal effects, suggesting potential avenues for reducing microplastic-related gut damage.

Polymers

Body Systems

Immune

Models

Rat

There have been concerns about the potential health risks posed by microplastics (MP). The detection of MP in a variety of food products revealed that humans are ingesting MP. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of data about their impacts, as well as their uptake, on intestinal barrier integrity. This study examined the toxic effects of oral administration of two doses of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MP) (3.75 or 15 mg/kg/day for 5 weeks; mean particle size: 4.0-6.0 µm) on the intestinal barrier integrity in rats. Moreover, the effect of melatonin treatment with MP exposure was also assessed. The PE-MP particle uptake, histopathological changes, Alcian blue staining, Muc2 mRNA, proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α), and cleaved caspase-3, as well as tight junction proteins (claudin-1, myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK), occludin, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1)) were assessed. Oral administration of PE-MP resulted in apparent jejunal histopathological alterations; significantly decreased mucin secretion, occludin, ZO-1, and claudin-1 expression; and significantly upregulated MLCK mRNA, IL-1β concentration, and cleaved caspase-3 expression. Melatonin reversed these altered parameters and improved the PE-MP-induced histopathological and ultrastructure changes. This study highlighted the PE-MP's toxic effect on intestinal barrier integrity and revealed the protective effect of melatonin.

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