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Size-dependent effects of polystyrene microplastics on cytotoxicity and efflux pump inhibition in human Caco-2 cells
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Researchers compared how two sizes of polystyrene microplastics affect human intestinal cells grown in the lab. While both sizes showed low direct toxicity, they disrupted mitochondrial function and inhibited important cellular transport pumps that normally help remove harmful substances from cells. The findings suggest that microplastics in the gut could interfere with how intestinal cells handle drugs and toxins, even at concentrations that do not cause obvious cell damage.
Microplastics in the environment may gain entry the human gastrointestinal tract through the food chain. However, information on different adverse effects of microplastics at nanometer or micrometer scales in human intestine cells is limited. This study compared the cytotoxicity and efflux pump inhibition ability of 0.1 μm and 5 μm polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) in the human colon adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cells. Both PS-MP sizes exhibited low toxicity on cell viability, oxidative stress, and membrane integrity and fluidity. However, the mitochondrial membrane potential was disrupted by both sizes of PS-MPs, and the 5 μm PS-MPs induced higher effects than 0.1 μm PS-MPs. Furthermore, 0.1 μm (≥20 μg/mL) or 5 μm (≥80 μg/mL) PS-MPs inhibited plasma membrane ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter activity and increased arsenic (one substrate of ABC transporter) toxicity. The 0.1 μm PS-MPs might act as substrates of ABC transporter to reduce the transport capacity of other substrates. However, high concentrations of 5 μm PS-MPs might reduce ABC transporter activity through induction of mitochondrial depolarization and potential depletion of ATP. This study provides basic information on the toxicity of 0.1 μm and 5 μm PS-MPs in human intestine cells, which are useful for assessing the risk of PS-MPs in humans.
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Polystyrene Microplastics of Varying Sizes and Shapes Induce Distinct Redox and Mitochondrial Stress Responses in a Caco-2 Monolayer
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Researchers tested three sizes and shapes of polystyrene microplastics on human intestinal cells and found that all were taken up by the cells, with the smallest particles (200 nm) causing the most pronounced effects on cellular stress responses. The microplastics triggered changes in antioxidant gene expression and mitochondrial activity. The study suggests that the number of particles a cell absorbs, driven largely by particle size, determines the severity of the stress response.
The potential effects of microplastic pollution on human digestive tract cells
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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.
Nanoplastics induce more severe apoptosis through mitochondrial damage in Caco-2 cells compared to sub-micron plastics
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Researchers found that 20 nm polystyrene nanoplastics cause more severe apoptosis in intestinal Caco-2 cells than 200 nm sub-micron plastics, disrupting cell membrane integrity at 80 ug/mL, localizing in lysosomes and mitochondria, and triggering mitochondria-mediated cell death pathways more intensively than larger particles. The study suggests nanoplastic size is a critical determinant of cytotoxicity in the gastrointestinal tract.
Elucidating the Size‐Dependency of In Vitro Digested Polystyrene Microplastics on Human Intestinal Cells Health and Function
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Polystyrene microplastics of different sizes were subjected to simulated in vitro digestion and then applied to human intestinal cells, with smaller particles causing greater disruption to cell health and barrier function than larger ones. The results suggest that the smallest microplastics reaching the human gut pose the greatest risk to intestinal integrity.
Effects of bisphenol A and nanoscale and microscale polystyrene plastic exposure on particle uptake and toxicity in human Caco-2 cells
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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.
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