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Polyethylene microplastics impede the innate immune response by disrupting the extracellular matrix and signaling transduction
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Mice exposed to polyethylene microplastics showed a weakened immune response when challenged with bacterial toxins, with lower levels of immune signaling molecules and reduced immune cell activity. The microplastics disrupted proteins in the extracellular matrix, the structural framework around cells in the liver and spleen, which impaired immune signaling. This suggests that microplastic accumulation in organs could make the body less effective at fighting infections.
Microplastics (MPs) can accumulate in animal organs. Numerous studies have linked MPs with immune system. However, the impact of MPs on immune response remains unclear. This study examined the innate immune response of mice exposed to 5 μm MPs. In the lipopolysaccharide challenge, mice treated with MPs exhibited lower levels of serum immune factors and activated immune cells. MPs disrupted immune-related receptors and cause dysfunction in cell signal transduction within the liver and spleen. Proteomic analysis revealed that MPs impede the activation of serum immune-related signals. In addition, the tissue section imaging exhibited a significant enrichment of MPs in the extracellular matrix (ECM), consistent with the ECM dysfunction and immune receptor suppression. Therefore, our data suggest excessive MPs accumulation in ECM inhibits cell signaling pathways, thereby suppressing the activation of immune responses. We propose the biotoxicity of MPs is partly through the MP disruption of ECM (MPDEM).
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Polyethylene microplastics impede the innate immune response by disrupting the extracellular matrix and signaling transduction
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This entry provides supplementary RNA-sequence data from a study showing that polyethylene microplastics disrupt the extracellular matrix and immune signaling in exposed cells. The underlying research demonstrates that microplastics can impair the innate immune response at a molecular level.
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Researchers exposed human immune cells to micro- and nanoplastic particles and then measured their ability to engulf and kill bacteria. They found that plastic exposure reduced both phagocytosis (the ability to capture bacteria) and intracellular killing in a dose-dependent manner, without directly killing the immune cells. The study suggests that microplastic exposure could weaken the body's first line of immune defense against bacterial infections.
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