We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Preliminary study on impacts of polystyrene microplastics on the hematological system and gene expression in bone marrow cells of mice
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the blood system and bone marrow gene expression in mice. They found that higher doses significantly decreased white blood cell counts and altered gene expression patterns in bone marrow cells, suggesting that microplastic exposure may affect the hematological system in mammals through changes in immune-related gene regulation.
Microplastics (MPs) are currently a global environmental pollutants and health hazards that caused by MPs cannot be ignored. However, studies on MP toxicity in mammals are scare. Here, we investigated the effects of two doses (0.1 mg and 0.5 mg) of 5 µm polystyrene microplastic (PS-MP) particles on the hematological system of mice through traditional toxicology experiments and assessed the related potential biological mechanisms using transcriptome sequencing analysis. The toxicological examinations showed that the 0.5 mg dose significantly decreased white blood cell count, increased Pit count, and inhibited the growth of colony-forming unit CFU-G, CFU-M and CFU-GM. Compared with the control group, there were 41 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the 0.1 mg-treated group and 32 significantly changed genes in 0.5 mg-treated group. Of note, eight genes were found to be significantly altered in both the PS-MP-treated groups. Gene ontology analysis showed that DEGs were mainly involved in T cell homeostasis, response to osmotic stress, extracellular matrix and structure organization, and metabolic process of NADP and nucleotides. In addition, pathway analysis revealed that the Jak/Stat pathway, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and the pentose phosphate pathway were involved in PS-MP-induced toxicity in mice. These results indicated that PS-MP exposure can cause hematotoxicity to some extent, impact gene expression, and disturb related molecular and biological pathways in mouse bone marrow cells. Our study provides fundamental data on the hematotoxicity of PS-MPs in terrestrial mammals that will help to further assess the corresponding health risks in these mammals.
More Papers Like This
Effect of Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure on Blood Parameters in Mice
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers gave mice low-dose polystyrene microplastics in drinking water for four weeks and found a doubling of white blood cell counts and elevated liver enzymes within two weeks, with elevated platelet counts emerging later and no return to baseline during a two-week recovery period — indicating persistent immune activation and potential organ stress.
Polystyrene micro-/nanoplastics induced hematopoietic damages via the crosstalk of gut microbiota, metabolites, and cytokines
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and found that the particles caused damage to the blood-forming system through disruption of gut bacteria, metabolic changes, and inflammatory signaling. Smaller nanoplastics caused more severe effects than larger microplastics, altering gut microbial communities and triggering systemic inflammation. The study reveals a previously unknown pathway by which ingested plastic particles may harm the body's ability to produce healthy blood cells.
Effect of Polystyrene Microplastics Exposure on Blood Parameters in Mice
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics in drinking water over four weeks and found increased white blood cell counts, elevated liver enzymes indicating hepatic injury, and altered kidney function markers. The study suggests that subchronic oral microplastic exposure induces inflammatory responses and disrupts liver and kidney function, with no significant recovery observed after a two-week withdrawal period.
Hematological consequences of polyethylene microplastics toxicity in male rats: Oxidative stress, genetic, and epigenetic links
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers gave male rats different doses of polyethylene microplastics orally for 35 days and found significant damage to blood cells and the blood-forming system. Higher doses caused oxidative stress, DNA damage, and changes in gene expression patterns related to blood cell production. The study suggests that chronic microplastic ingestion could harm the blood system through both genetic and epigenetic pathways.
Exposure to polystyrene microplastics during lactational period alters immune status in both male mice and their offspring
AI summary Read the abstract
This study found that when male mice were exposed to polystyrene microplastics during the nursing period, both the adult mice and their offspring showed changes in immune cell populations in the spleen. The microplastics altered the balance of different types of immune cells, suggesting the immune system was being disrupted. This is especially concerning because it shows that microplastic exposure during early life can affect immune development in the next generation.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.