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Interaction of polystyrene nanoplastics with human fibrinogen
Summary
Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface modifications disrupted the structure of human fibrinogen, a key blood clotting protein, in a dose-dependent manner. The study suggests that nanoplastics entering the bloodstream could interfere with protein function, raising concerns about the potential biological consequences of nanoplastic exposure in humans.
Nanoplastics are an emerging environmental contaminant that can penetrate biological barriers to enter the bloodstream and risk human health. In this context, nanoplastics are likely to interact with proteins in the blood to possibly affect protein structure and function and consequently induce biological effects. Here we report that polystyrene (PS), PS-NH, and PS-COOH nanoplastics disrupt the structure of human fibrinogen (HF) in a dose-dependent manner, as revealed by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. All three nanoplastics interacted with HF in a similar way, with PS-NH having the greatest effect on HF structure. Furthermore, fibrinogen polymerization experiments demonstrated that nanoplastics have the potential to promote blood coagulation, with PS-NH again having a stronger effect. Collectively, these results provide insights into the interactions occurring between nanoplastics and HF, the likely transport and fate of nanoplastics in organisms, and their potential pathophysiological consequences.