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Nano- and micro-polystyrene plastics interfered the gut barrier function mediated by exosomal miRNAs in rats
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Researchers exposed rats to nano- and micro-sized polystyrene plastics for four weeks and found that both disrupted gut barrier function and altered gut microbiota composition. The particles changed the profile of small RNA molecules called miRNAs carried by exosomes in the intestine and blood, particularly reducing miR-126a-3p, which is involved in maintaining gut integrity. The study suggests that plastic particles may damage the intestinal barrier through a previously unknown mechanism involving cell-to-cell communication via exosomes.
Microplastics (MPs) are widely distributed in the global environment, entering and accumulating in organisms in various ways and posing health threats. MPs can damage intestine; however, the mechanism by which MPs cause intestinal damage in rats is unclear. Here, rats were exposed to 50 nm PS-NPs or 5 μm PS-MPs for 4 weeks to evaluate the possible effects on intestinal barrier function and exosomal miRNAs expressions. The results showed that PS-NPs or PS-MPs disrupted the gut microbiota and affected gut barrier function at the biological level. In addition, PS-NPs and PS-MPs altered the composition of exosomal miRNAs in the intestinal and serum. Both PS-NPs and PS-MPs decreased the expression of miR-126a-3p in the intestinal and serum exosomes, which is an important signalling molecule involved in MPs induced gut barrier function disorder. More importantly, both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that miR-126a-3p was closely related to oxidative damage of intestinal cells through the PI3K-Akt pathway and eventually promote cell apoptosis by regulating the target gene of PIK3R2. Our study suggested that PS-NPs and PS-MPs could affect rat intestinal barrier function through an exosomal miRNA mediated pathway.
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Polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the intestinal microenvironment by altering bacteria-host interactions through extracellular vesicle-delivered microRNAs
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Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the gut lining in mice by altering tiny RNA molecules that control the production of protective proteins in the intestinal barrier. The nanoplastics also caused an imbalance in gut bacteria, creating a chain reaction where damaged gut cells release particles that further weaken the intestinal barrier and change the microbiome.
Role of Nanoplastics in Decreasing the Intestinal Microbiome Ratio: A Review of the Scope of Polystyrene
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This scoping review of 56 studies found consistent evidence that polystyrene nanoplastics (≤100 nm) disrupt gut homeostasis through a three-stage cascade: ROS generation and oxidative stress, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and gut microbiome dysbiosis, with downstream effects on immunity and multiple organs.
Impacts of polystyrene microplastic on the gut barrier, microbiota and metabolism of mice
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Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics for six weeks and found that the particles accumulated in the gut, reduced protective mucus secretion, and damaged the intestinal barrier. The microplastics also significantly altered the composition of gut bacteria, decreasing beneficial species and increasing harmful ones. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion could disrupt gut health in mammals by simultaneously impairing the physical barrier and reshaping the microbiome.
Biological effects of polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics on human intestinal organoid-derived epithelial tissue models without and with M cells.
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Researchers exposed human intestinal organoid-derived epithelial tissue models with and without M cells to polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics, finding that nano-plastics caused greater disruption of barrier integrity and uptake than micro-plastics, and that M cell-containing models showed enhanced particle translocation compared to standard epithelial models.
Perturbation of gut microbiota plays an important role in micro/nanoplastics-induced gut barrier dysfunction
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Researchers investigated how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt gut barrier function in mice, finding that different surface chemistries caused varying levels of damage. The study suggests that these plastic particles harm the gut by altering the gut microbiome, which then leads to inflammation and weakening of the intestinal barrier that normally keeps harmful substances out of the body.
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