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Cadmium co-ingestion promotes systemic nanoplastics distribution in mice via multi-level intestinal barrier compromise
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A 35-day mouse study found that cadmium co-ingestion facilitated systemic distribution of polystyrene nanoplastics by compromising multiple levels of intestinal barrier function, including the mucus layer and tight junctions, producing synergistic and irreversible toxicological effects.
Nanoplastics (NPs) have been detected in global ecosystem, raising serious concerns about their potential health risks. Oral exposure is recognized as the primary route of human NPs exposure, but the mechanisms of absorption, translocation, and toxic effects and the influencing factors (particularly co-existing contaminants) remain poorly understood. Through a 35-day oral administration, it was found that co-exposure to Cd facilitates systemic distribution of polystyrene NPs in mouse models, resulting in synergistic and irreversible toxicological effects. Specifically, the Cd exposure compromises intestinal barrier function by disrupting the mucus layer and inducing intercellular tight junctions opening, thereby enhancing NPs phagocytosis by macrophages and triggering systemic immune activation. This pathological cascade leads to intestinal barrier dysfunction, facilitating NPs translocation across the intestinal barrier and subsequent distribution in multiple organs, including liver, lung, kidney, heart, and even brain, thereby exacerbating injury to extraintestinal organs. Notably, the synergistic effects between Cd and NPs persist after 4-week recovery and across diverse surface properties. These findings underscore that co-existing contaminants can markedly aggravate the health risks associated with NPs even at environmentally relevant concentrations, highlighting the imperative for comprehensive risk assessment and management strategies to address the intricate interactions of NPs in real-world scenarios.
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Co-exposure with cadmium elevates the toxicity of microplastics: Trojan horse effect from the perspective of intestinal barrier
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When mice were exposed to both microplastics and the toxic metal cadmium together, the health damage to their intestines and liver was significantly worse than exposure to either pollutant alone. The microplastics acted like a "Trojan horse," carrying cadmium past the gut barrier and increasing its accumulation in the body, while also disrupting the gut microbiome.
Chronic exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces intestinal mechanical and immune barrier dysfunction in mice
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In a long-term study, mice that drank water containing polystyrene nanoplastics for 32 weeks developed significant damage to their intestinal barriers and immune defenses. The nanoplastics disrupted the tight junctions that keep the gut lining sealed, caused inflammation, increased oxidative stress, and altered immune cell populations in the intestines. This research suggests that chronic, low-level nanoplastic exposure through drinking water could gradually weaken the gut's ability to protect the body from harmful substances.
Intestinal barrier disruption by cadmium and microplastics: Mechanistic insights from integrated metabolomic and proteomic analysis in mice
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A mouse study found that combined exposure to cadmium (a toxic metal) and microplastics caused more severe intestinal damage than either pollutant alone. The co-exposure disrupted key metabolic pathways and compromised the gut barrier, potentially promoting cancer cell growth and invasion. Since both cadmium and microplastics are widespread environmental contaminants that humans encounter together, this research highlights the importance of studying how multiple pollutants interact to harm health.
NewEvidence forthe Mechanisms of Nanoplastics AmplifyingCadmium Cytotoxicity: Trojan Horse Effect, Inflammatory Response,and Calcium Imbalance
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Researchers found that nanoplastics amplify cadmium cytotoxicity by transporting cadmium ions into cells more efficiently than cadmium alone, identifying specific molecular mechanisms involving membrane disruption and intracellular cadmium accumulation that explain the synergistic toxicity.
Co-exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and cadmium induces apoptosis in intestinal cells: Role of the IP3R/Ca²⁺/STAT3 signaling pathway.
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Scientists found that when tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) and the toxic metal cadmium are present together, they cause more damage to intestinal cells than either pollutant alone. The combination triggers cell death through a specific pathway involving calcium signals in the gut. This matters because both nanoplastics and cadmium are common environmental pollutants that people are regularly exposed to through food and water, suggesting these combined exposures could harm digestive health.
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