We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effects of bisphenol A and nanoscale and microscale polystyrene plastic exposure on particle uptake and toxicity in human Caco-2 cells
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how human intestinal Caco-2 cells take up polystyrene plastic particles of five different sizes ranging from 300 nanometers to 6 micrometers. The study found that smaller particles were taken up at higher rates and that co-exposure with bisphenol A increased cellular toxicity, suggesting that nanoscale plastics may pose a greater risk to human intestinal cells than larger microplastics.
Microplastics are abundant in oceans, lakes, soils and even air, and can pose potential threats to human health through food or respiratory intake. Moreover, microplastics have synergistic toxicity to the body after absorbing organic pollutants. In this study, laser scanning confocal microscope and flow cytometry were used to observe the intake of colonic cancer Caco-2 cells to polystyrene plastic with five different particlesizes (300 nm, 500 nm, 1 μm, 3 μm, 6 μm). The uptake rates of microplastics with different particle sizes were 73%, 71%, 49%, 43%, and 30%, respectively. Then, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze the adsorption differences of polystyrene plastic with different particle sizes to bisphenol A (BPA). Finally, the proliferation toxicity of polystyrene microplastics with different particle sizeson Caco-2 cells before and after adsorption of BPA was compared. MTT experiments confirmed that microplastics caused an increase in cytotoxicity. This result may be related to increased cellular oxidative stress and mitochondrial depolarization. This hypothesis has been confirmed in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) assays because nanoscale microplastics cause a large amount of ROS on Caco-2 cells after microplastic exposure, and micron-scale microplastics cause a significant decrease in MMP. At the same time, nanoscale microplastics can cause further depolarization of mitochondria due to their large specific surface area adsorption of BPA, which leads to enhanced cytotoxicity of microplastics after BPA adsorption. The results of this study are of great significance in the evaluation of the safety of microplastics in the human body.
More Papers Like This
The potential effects of microplastic pollution on human digestive tract cells
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested polystyrene particles of four different sizes on human colon and small intestine cells to assess the potential effects of microplastic ingestion. They found that the smallest nanoscale particles were more readily taken up by cells and caused greater reductions in cell viability and increased oxidative stress. The study suggests that smaller plastic particles may pose a greater risk to the human digestive tract than larger ones.
Bioaccumulation of differently-sized polystyrene nanoplastics by human lung and intestine cells
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how human lung and intestine cells take up polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes, finding that smaller particles were internalized in greater numbers but at lower total mass compared to larger ones. When compared on a surface area basis, the uptake rates were similar across sizes, suggesting that surface interactions with cell membranes play a key role. The findings indicate that particle size is an important factor to consider when evaluating the health risks of nanoplastic exposure.
Nanoplastics as a potential environmental health factor: effects of polystyrene nanoparticles on human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested how polystyrene nanoparticles interact with human intestinal cells in the lab. They found that the nanoparticles were readily taken up by the cells in a concentration-dependent manner, but no significant toxic effects were observed under the conditions tested. The study suggests that while nanoplastics can enter gut cells, their short-term toxicity at the tested levels appears limited.
Nano-plastics and gastric health: Decoding the cytotoxic mechanisms of polystyrene nano-plastics size
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how different sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics affect human stomach cells in the laboratory. They found that smaller nanoplastics were more readily taken up by the cells and caused greater damage, including increased oxidative stress and reduced cell survival. The study suggests that nanoplastic particle size plays a critical role in determining their potential impact on gastrointestinal health.
Correlation between cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in HeLa cells: A size-dependent matter
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested polystyrene particles of various sizes on human cells and found that only the smallest nanoplastics, those under about 25 nanometers in radius, could enter cells and cause toxic effects. Larger microplastic particles did not penetrate the cell membrane and showed no toxicity even at very high concentrations. The study provides a clear explanation for why smaller plastic particles tend to be more harmful, directly linking cell entry to cellular damage.
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.