We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effects of Short-Term Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Nervous System: Calcium Homeostasis, BDNF and Synaptic Plasticity
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed co-cultured hippocampal neurons and astrocytes to polystyrene nanoplastics and investigated their effects on synaptic plasticity. The study found that nanoplastics may interfere with calcium ion signaling and reduce CaMKII activity, which subsequently downregulates CREB and BDNF expression, suggesting a potential mechanism by which nanoplastics could affect learning and memory processes.
(1) Background: The increasing environmental concentration of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) may pose a risk of human exposure and health threats. Previous studies have demonstrated that exposure to PS-NPs poses a threat to neural synaptic plasticity, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. (2) Methods: Hippocampal astrocytes and neurons were co-cultured, exposed to PS-NPs at concentrations of 10, 50, and 100 μg/mL, and cytotoxicity was assessed. We investigated PS-NP-induced impairment of synaptic plasticity by regulating the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). (3) Results: Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a central molecular organizer of synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory, and its activity is intrinsically linked to intracellular calcium ion concentration. Our research indicates that PS-NPs may interfere with calcium ion signaling and CaMKIIα activity, thereby reducing CaMKIIα activity. This subsequently downregulates the expression of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), modulates BDNF expression, and impacts synaptic plasticity. (4) Conclusions: In summary, this study primarily focused on the effects of PS-NPs exposure on hippocampal synaptic plasticity.
More Papers Like This
Exposure to Nanoplastics Disrupts Neurotransmitter Release in Rat Hippocampal Neurons
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed rat hippocampal neurons to polystyrene nanoplastics and measured neurotransmitter release using electrophysiology. Nanoplastic exposure disrupted synaptic transmission by impairing calcium-dependent neurotransmitter release at hippocampal synapses, providing direct evidence of nanoplastic interference with the neural signaling machinery involved in memory and cognition.
Sulfate-modified nanosized polystyrene impairs memory by inhibiting ionotropic glutamate receptors and the cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that sulfate-modified polystyrene nanoplastics impair both short- and long-term associative memory in C. elegans by downregulating ionotropic glutamate receptors and the CREB signaling pathway — conserved molecular mechanisms that also underlie learning and memory in mammals — raising concerns about nanoplastic effects on cognition.
Murine hippocampal CA3 vulnerability to intravenously administered polystyrene nanoplastics: preferential accumulation and ROS-related neuronal cell death
AI summary Read the abstract
In mice injected with tiny polystyrene plastic particles, the particles built up mainly in a specific brain region (hippocampal CA3), where nerve cells died off and showed signs of oxidative stress. These mice also performed worse on memory and learning tests compared to untreated mice.
Polystyrene nanoplastics exposure induces cognitive impairment in mice via induction of oxidative stress and ERK/MAPK-mediated neuronal cuproptosis
AI summary Read the abstract
This mouse study found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused cognitive impairment by triggering oxidative stress and activating a cell-death process called cuproptosis in brain neurons. The findings suggest that copper buildup and specific signaling pathways may be therapeutic targets for reducing brain damage from nanoplastic exposure, though these results still need to be confirmed in human-relevant models.
Subchronic Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Disrupts Placental Development and Calcium Homeostasis: Insights from In Vivo and In Vitro Models
AI summary Read the abstract
Pregnant mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics through drinking water showed abnormal placental development, increased fetal loss, and disrupted calcium balance in placental cells. The nanoplastics triggered a specific molecular pathway that interfered with calcium signaling in the placenta, suggesting that prenatal nanoplastic exposure could harm fetal development through placental dysfunction.
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.