We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Neurobehavioral assessment of rats exposed to pristine polystyrene nanoplastics upon oral exposure
Summary
Researchers orally dosed male rats with polystyrene nanoparticles at four doses for five weeks and found no statistically significant neurobehavioral effects across a battery of tests, though subtle trends such as increased open-arm exploration in the elevated plus maze suggest that even pristine nanoplastics may produce low-level behavioral signals warranting further investigation.
The increasing use of plastics has raised concerns about pollution of freshwater by these polymeric materials. Knowledge about their potential effects on environmental and public health is limited. Recent publications have suggested that the degradation of plastics will result in the release of nano-sized plastic particles to the environment. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to gain knowledge about whether and how nanoplastics affect living organisms. The present study aimed to analyse potential neurobehavioral effects of polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) after long-term exposure on rat. Potential effects of PS-NPs were investigated using four test dosages (1, 3, 6, and 10 mg PS-NPs/kg of body weight/day) administrated orally with adult Wistar male rats for five weeks. Neurobehavioral tests were chosen to assess a variety of behavioral domains. Particle diameters in test suspensions were determined through dynamic light scattering and showed an average hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 38.92 nm. No statistically significant behavioral effects were observed in all tests performed (p > 0.05). In the elevated plus maze, PS-NPs-exposed rats showed greater number of entries into open arms compared to controls. Also, PS-NPs had no significant influence on body weight of animals. Taking into account the subtle and transient nature of neurobehavioral consequences, however, these results underline the possibility of even pristine plastic nanoparticles to induce behavioral alteration in the rest of the food web, including for marine biota and humans. Indeed even though studied neurobehavioral effects in our study was not statistically significant, the observed subtle effects may be clinically considerable.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Oral exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces anxiety-like behavior and cognitive deficit accompanied with alteration of neuroimmune markers in rats
Researchers found that oral exposure to 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics in rats induced anxiety-like behavior and cognitive deficits after four weeks of dosing. The study observed alterations in neuroimmune markers in the hippocampus, suggesting that nanoplastic ingestion may affect brain function through neuroinflammatory pathways.
Oral Exposure to Nylon-11 and Polystyrene Nanoplastics During Early-Life in Rats
Researchers exposed rat pups to nylon and polystyrene nanoplastics during early life to assess potential developmental effects. They found that while the nanoplastics did not cause overt toxicity at the doses tested, the particles did reach various organs and some subtle biological changes were observed. The study highlights the need for more research on how nanoplastic exposure during critical growth periods may affect long-term health.
To what extent are orally ingested nanoplastics toxic to the hippocampus in young adult rats?
Researchers investigated polystyrene nanoplastic toxicity to the hippocampus in young adult rats, finding that oral exposure caused oxidative stress, inflammation, and histopathological changes in brain tissue with potential implications for cognitive function.
Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces an anxiolytic-like effect, changes in antipredator defensive response, and DNA damage in Swiss mice
Researchers exposed male Swiss mice to polystyrene nanoplastics at two doses over 20 days and assessed behavioral, neurological, and genetic effects. The study found that nanoplastic exposure induced anxiolytic-like behavior, altered antipredator defensive responses, and caused DNA damage in erythrocytes, suggesting that nanoplastics can affect mammalian brain function and genomic integrity.
Effects of orally administered polystyrene nanoplastics on reproduction and development in rodents
This study examined the reproductive and developmental effects of orally administered polystyrene nanoplastics in an animal model, finding that NP ingestion impaired fertility metrics and offspring development, contributing to growing evidence of nanoplastic reproductive toxicity.