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Polystyrene Microplastics Affect the Reproductive Performance of Male Mice and Lipid Homeostasis in Their Offspring

Environmental Science & Technology Letters 2022 53 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 55 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Yongfeng Deng, Qing Wang Yongfeng Deng, Qing Wang Yongfeng Deng, Yongfeng Deng, Yichao Huang, Hexia Chen, Yongfeng Deng, Yongfeng Deng, Yongfeng Deng, Yongfeng Deng, Yongfeng Deng, Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Hexia Chen, Yongfeng Deng, Qing Wang Hexia Chen, Hexia Chen, Qing Wang Yongfeng Deng, Hexia Chen, Da Chen, Qing Wang Hexia Chen, Yongfeng Deng, Hexia Chen, Da Chen, Yongfeng Deng, Qing Wang Qing Wang Yongfeng Deng, Yongfeng Deng, Qing Wang Qing Wang Yongfeng Deng, Hexia Chen, Yichao Huang, Yichao Huang, Yichao Huang, Yichao Huang, Qing Wang Wen Chen, Qing Wang Qing Wang Yichao Huang, Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Yongfeng Deng, Da Chen, Wen Chen, Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Da Chen, Da Chen, Qing Wang Wen Chen, Yongfeng Deng, Qing Wang Qing Wang Da Chen, Da Chen, Da Chen, Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Yongfeng Deng, Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Hexia Chen, Qing Wang Qing Wang Wen Chen, Qing Wang Qing Wang Hexia Chen, Qing Wang Yongfeng Deng, Da Chen, Yichao Huang, Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Yichao Huang, Da Chen, Qing Wang Qing Wang Qing Wang Yichao Huang, Da Chen, Wen Chen, Da Chen, Da Chen, Qing Wang Da Chen, Qing Wang

Summary

Researchers found that long-term exposure to environmentally relevant doses of polystyrene microplastics over 21 weeks significantly impaired reproductive function in male mice, including decreased testicle weight and sperm quality. The study also revealed transgenerational effects, with offspring showing disrupted lipid homeostasis.

Polymers

Body Systems

Hepatic Reproductive

Models

Mouse

Study Type In vivo

The potential health risks of microplastics (MPs) to humans and other mammals have attracted global attention. However, whether long-term exposure to environmentally relevant doses of MPs could impair the reproductive functions of mammals and cause transgenerational effects on their offspring remains largely unclear. Our study revealed that long-term (i.e., 21 weeks) exposure to environmentally relevant doses of polystyrene MPs (40–100 μm) not only significantly decreased testicle relative weight but also decreased sperm quality (i.e., decreased sperm number and changed sperm phenotype), thus affecting the reproductive performance of male mice. The exposure also dysregulated lipid metabolism in their F1 offspring by altering 17 of 23 lipid classes. In particular, three lipid classes were closely related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; i.e., levels of alkylphosphatidylcholine, alkenylphosphatidylcholine, and alkenylphosphatidylethanolamine were significantly increased in the liver and plasma of F1 offspring. The lipid metabolism disruption also exhibited a dose-, gender-, and tissue-specific pattern. Our findings demonstrate for the first time the in vivo evidence of the male reproductive effects of exposure to environmentally relevant doses of MPs on terrestrial mammals and transgenerational effects on their offspring.

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