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Combined effect of polystyrene microplastics and cadmium on rat blood-testis barrier integrity and sperm quality
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Researchers exposed male rats to polystyrene microplastics and cadmium, both separately and together, and found that both substances damaged testicular tissue, disrupted the blood-testis barrier, and reduced sperm quality. Notably, the combined exposure was less severe than cadmium alone, likely because microplastics absorbed some cadmium in the gut and reduced its bioavailability. The study also found for the first time that microplastics trigger autophagy in reproductive cells as a protective response.
The harmful effects of microplastics and Cd on the testicular activity of sexually mature rats are here documented. Oral treatment with both substances caused testicular impairment that was evidenced by histological and biomolecular alterations, such as MP accumulation in the seminiferous epithelium, imbalance of oxidative status, and reduced sperm quality. Importantly, the cytoarchitecture of the blood-testis barrier was compromised, as revealed by the down-regulation of protein levels of structural occludin, Van Gogh-like protein 2, and connexin 43 and activation of regulative kinases proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase and focal adhesion kinase. Interestingly, for the first time, MPs are reported to activate the autophagy pathway in germ cells, to reduce damaged organelles and molecules, probably in an attempt to avoid apoptosis. Surprisingly, the results obtained with the simultaneous Cd + MPs treatment showed more harmful effects than those produced by MPs alone but less severe than with Cd alone. This might be due to the different ways of administration to rats (oral gavage for MPs and in drinking water for Cd), which might favor the adsorption, in the gastrointestinal tract, of Cd by MPs, which, by exploiting the Trojan horse effect, reduces the bioavailability of Cd.
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The simultaneous administration of microplastics and cadmium alters rat testicular activity and changes the expression of PTMA, DAAM1 and PREP
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Researchers examined the combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on testicular function in rats. The study found that simultaneous exposure caused testicular damage including impaired tissue structure, increased cell death, reduced testosterone, and altered expression of proteins involved in sperm cell development. The study suggests that microplastics may partially reduce cadmium bioavailability through adsorption, resulting in combined effects that were more severe than microplastics alone but less harmful than cadmium alone.
Maternal Exposureto Combined Cadmium and PolystyreneNanoplastics Induces Offspring Testicular Dysplasia via MitochondrialReactive Oxygen Species Overactivating the Peroxisome Proliferator-ActivatedReceptor α‑Mediated Autophagy Signaling Pathway
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Maternal exposure to combined polystyrene nanoplastics and cadmium during pregnancy caused testicular dysplasia in offspring via mitochondrial reactive oxygen species overactivating the PPARα-mediated autophagy pathway, with combined exposure more harmful than either alone.
Microplastics and Cadmium Co-Exposure Impairs Testicular Function via A Trojan Horse Mechanism: Protective Role of D-Aspartate
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In rats, exposure to microplastics and cadmium together damaged testicular tissue, lowered sperm quality and testosterone, and disrupted barriers protecting developing sperm cells, with combined exposure worse than microplastics alone. Rats also given D-aspartate showed reduced cell damage and oxidative stress, along with changes in proteins linked to sperm production.
Synergistic effect of PS-MPs and Cd on male reproductive toxicity: Ferroptosis via Keap1-Nrf2 pathway
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A mouse study found that microplastics and the heavy metal cadmium work together to cause more severe damage to male reproductive organs than either pollutant alone. The combination triggered a form of cell death called ferroptosis by disrupting a key protective pathway in the body. This is the first study to show this synergistic reproductive harm, suggesting that microplastics can make other environmental toxins more dangerous.
Combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and lipopolysaccharide on testosterone biosynthesis and inflammation in mouse testis
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Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics combined with bacterial toxins (LPS) caused worse damage to mouse testicles than either substance alone, reducing sperm count, lowering testosterone levels, and increasing inflammation. Since microplastics in the environment can carry bacteria and their toxins, this combination exposure is realistic. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution could amplify the reproductive harm caused by bacterial infections in males.
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