Polystyrene nanoplastics-induced altered glycolipid metabolism in the liver: A comparative study between pregnant and non-pregnant mice

Micro-and nanoplastics (MNPs) are important environmental pollutants of global concern. While many studies have confirmed that MNPs exposure can disrupt hepatic lipid metabolism in male mice, the effects and mechanisms of MNPs exposure during pregnancy on maternal hepatic glycolipid metabolism remain unclear. In this study, pregnant and non-pregnant mice were randomly divided into three groups: the control group receiving ultrapure water, the low-dose nanoplastics (NPs) exposure group receiving ultrapure water with 0.1 µg·mL NPs, and the high-dose NPs exposure group receiving ultrapure water with 1 µg·mL NPs. Pregnant mice were exposed from gestation day 0 (GD0) and were euthanized on GD13. Non-pregnant mice underwent 14 days of NPs exposure and were then euthanized. Results showed that NPs exposure significantly disrupted glycolipid metabolism in the livers of pregnant mice, resulting in lipid depletion and abnormal glycogen accumulation. However, in non-pregnant mice, NPs exposure only affected glucose metabolism, causing glycogen accumulation without significantly affecting lipid metabolism. These differential effects suggest that pregnant mice are more sensitive to NPs exposure than non-pregnant mice, indicating the need for enhanced environmental safety concerns and protection during pregnancy.