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Keap1-Nrf2 pathway up-regulation via hydrogen sulfide mitigates polystyrene microplastics induced-hepatotoxic effects
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Researchers investigated whether hydrogen sulfide could protect against liver damage caused by polystyrene microplastics in mice. They found that hydrogen sulfide activated the Keap1-Nrf2 antioxidant defense pathway, which reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in liver tissues exposed to microplastics. The study suggests that the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway plays a protective role against microplastic-induced hepatotoxicity and that hydrogen sulfide could be a potential therapeutic agent.
Microplastics, which are new types of environmental pollutants, are recently receiving widespread attention worldwide. Hydrogen sulfide (HS) as the third endogenous gaseous mediator had protective effects in multiple physiological and pathological conditions. However, the protective role of HS in microplastics-induced hepatotoxocity remain unclear. In this study, our data showed that HS significantly suppressed inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress induced by polystyrene microplastics (mic-PS) (20 mg/kg b.w.) in the liver. Strikingly, although mic-PS exposure increased the expression of nuclear factor-E2-related factor (Nrf2), it did not influence the levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQOl) in the L02 hepatocytes. Immunofluorescence assay showed that sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) reduced micro-Ps-induced hepatic apoptosis by facilitating nuclear accumulation of Nrf2. Simultaneously, flow cytometry also showed that NaHS could prevent mic-PS-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by increasing the expression of HO-1 and NQO1. Furthermore, inhibition of HO-1 could reverse the hepatic protective effects of NaHS during mic-PS exposure. Mechanistically, HS elevating the HO-1 and NQO1 expression by facilitating nuclear accumulation of Nrf2, and consequently reducing mic-PS-induced hepatic apoptosis and inflammation. This study unveils the hepatotoxic effects of MPs and suggest NaHS have protective effects on mic-PS-induced liver damage.
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