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Hepatotoxicity induced by polylactic acid microplastics: The mediating role of gut microbiota and uric acid metabolism
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Researchers found that polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, often marketed as biodegradable and eco-friendly, caused liver damage in a study by disrupting gut bacteria and raising uric acid levels. The gut microbiome changes triggered by PLA microplastics were the key driver of the liver injury, not direct contact with the liver. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safe and highlights the gut-liver connection in microplastic toxicity.
Our findings demonstrate that PLA MP-induced liver damage is mediated by gut microbiota-driven elevation of uric acid. This highlights the critical role of systemic factors, particularly gut microbiota, in assessing the hepatotoxicity of PLA MPs.
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Polylactic acid micro/nanoplastic-induced hepatotoxicity: Investigating food and air sources via multi-omics
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Researchers found that polylactic acid (PLA) — a plastic marketed as biodegradable — caused liver damage in mice whether the particles were ingested through food or inhaled through air, disrupting gut and lung microbiomes along the way. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safe and suggest that micro- and nanoplastics from any source can pose a risk to liver health.
Polylactic acid microplastics as metabolic disruptors: Linking gut dysbiosis to systemic toxicity by disrupting microbiota-host co-metabolism.
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This review pulls together existing research on tiny plastic particles from polylactic acid (PLA)—a "biodegradable" plastic used in things like food packaging and disposable cutlery—showing they can build up in the gut, damage its protective lining, and throw off the balance of gut bacteria. Scientists think this gut disruption may trigger inflammation and even affect the liver and body-wide metabolism, though this specific chain of events hasn't been directly proven yet for PLA particles. The takeaway: even "eco-friendly" plastics may carry hidden health risks, and more research is needed to understand exactly how they affect our
PLA plastic particles disrupt bile acid metabolism leading to hepatic inflammatory injury in male mice
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Researchers found that polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, often considered a safer biodegradable alternative, caused inflammatory liver damage in male mice by disrupting bile acid metabolism. Both cell and animal experiments showed that PLA particles triggered inflammation and altered the chemical signaling pathways that regulate bile acid production. The study suggests that even biodegradable microplastics may pose health risks that deserve further scrutiny.
Oral exposure to PLA microplastics induces time-dependent nanotoxicity via the gut-liver axis
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Researchers fed mice polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, a type derived from biodegradable plastic, and tracked health effects over time using advanced metabolic and microbiome analysis. Short-term exposure caused gut inflammation and altered gut bacteria composition, followed by metabolic disturbances in the liver and intestine. However, prolonged exposure triggered adaptive changes, suggesting the body can partially adjust to sustained microplastic presence, though the long-term implications remain uncertain.
Bioplastics Toxicity Upon Ingestion: A Critical Review of Biotransformation and Gastrointestinal Effects
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Researchers reviewed how bioplastic-derived micro- and nanoplastics — particularly from polylactic acid — behave in the gastrointestinal tract, finding that simulated digestion causes fragmentation and protein corona formation, while in vivo mouse models show gut microbiota disruption, oxidative stress, and indirect hepatotoxicity via altered microbial metabolism.
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.