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Extracellular vesicles as mediators of metabolomic changes in response to PET microplastics

Environmental Pollution 2025 6 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 63 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Monika Golubska, Karol Mierzejewski, Karol Mierzejewski, Karol Mierzejewski, Karol Mierzejewski, Karol Mierzejewski, Ismena Gałęcka, Ismena Gałęcka, Ismena Gałęcka, Ismena Gałęcka, Karol Mierzejewski, Karol Mierzejewski, Karol Mierzejewski, Karol Mierzejewski, Karol Mierzejewski, Karol Mierzejewski, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Jarosław Całka, Jarosław Całka, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Aleksandra Kurzyńska, Karol Mierzejewski, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Monika Golubska, Jarosław Całka, Jarosław Całka, Ismena Gałęcka, Ismena Gałęcka, Ismena Gałęcka, Ismena Gałęcka, Ismena Gałęcka, Jarosław Całka, Ismena Gałęcka, Ismena Gałęcka, Jarosław Całka, Ismena Gałęcka, Jarosław Całka, Ismena Gałęcka, Ismena Gałęcka, Jarosław Całka, Jarosław Całka, Jarosław Całka, Ismena Gałęcka, Jarosław Całka, Ismena Gałęcka, Jarosław Całka, Jarosław Całka, Jarosław Całka, Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka Jarosław Całka, Jarosław Całka, Jarosław Całka, Jarosław Całka, Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka Iwona Bogacka

Summary

Researchers fed piglets PET microplastics (a common plastic used in food packaging) and found that the particles changed the chemical signals carried by extracellular vesicles, which are tiny messengers that cells use to communicate with each other. The altered signals disrupted fat processing, energy production, sugar metabolism, and hormone production. This reveals a previously unknown way that microplastics could cause widespread disruption throughout the body.

Polymers

PET

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are essential mediators of intercellular communication. They play a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis, regulating physiological processes and contribute to the development of various diseases. Microplastics can enter the human body as ubiquitous pollutants and have been detected in various tissues. In the body, they can disrupt physiological functions, leading to increasing health concerns. However, their impact on EV-mediated communication remains poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether PET microplastics - one of the most used materials in plastic packaging - affect the content of EVs using immature pigs as a model organism. The global metabolomic profile of serum-derived EVs was analyzed by UPLC-MS in piglets treated with either a low (0.1 g/day) or a high dose (1 g/day) of PET microplastics for 4 weeks. The analysis showed that a low dose affected the expression of 24 metabolites, while a high dose affected the expression of 31 metabolites. The differentially expressed metabolites were involved in the regulation of lipid signaling pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, disruption of glucose metabolism and impaired steroidogenesis. The results of these studies reveal a new pathway of communication in the body in response to PET microplastics.

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