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Bioeffects of Inhaled Nanoplastics on Neurons and Alteration of Animal Behaviors through Deposition in the Brain
Summary
Researchers demonstrated that nanoplastics inhaled through the nose can travel along the olfactory nerve and deposit directly in the brain, causing neuron damage and altered behavior in mice. Using a microfluidic chip to study neuron interactions, they found that smaller particles with specific surface charges caused the most severe cell damage. The study provides direct evidence that airborne nanoplastics can reach the brain through inhalation and may pose neurotoxic risks.
The potential toxicity of nanoplastics on plants has previously been illustrated, but whether nanoplastics could cause neurotoxicity, especially to higher animals, remains unclear. We now demonstrate that nanoplastics can be deposited in the brain via nasal inhalation, triggering neuron toxicity and altering the animal behavior. Polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) of PS-COOH and PS-NH2 are used as models for nanoplastics. We designed a microfluidic chip to evaluate the PS-NPs with different concentrations, surface ligands, and sizes to interact with neurons. Smaller PS-NPs can induce more cellular uptake than larger PS-NPs. PS-NPs with a size of 80 nm can reach and deposit in the brain of mice via aerosol inhalation. Mice inhaling PS-NPs exhibit fewer activities in comparison to those inhaling water droplets. An obvious neurotoxicity of the nanoplastics could be observed from the results of the inhibition of AChE activities. Our results show the potential significance of the physiochemical properties of organic nanoplastics on depositing in mammalian brains by nasal inhalation.
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