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In vivo exposure of mixed microplastic particles in mice and its impacts on the murine gut microbiome and metabolome
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Mice were orally exposed to a mixed polystyrene, polyethylene, and PLGA microplastic suspension for several weeks and gut microbiome composition and metabolomics were analyzed. Mixed microplastic exposure shifted the gut microbiome toward dysbiotic profiles in both male and female mice, with accompanying metabolome changes related to lipid and amino acid metabolism.
Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are emerging environmental contaminants due to increasing global plastic production and waste. Microplastics, defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in diameter, are formed through degradation of larger plastics via sunlight, weathering, and microbes. These plastic compounds are widely detected in water, soil, food, as well as human stool and blood. The gut microbiome, often referred to as our second genome, is important in human health and is the primary point of contact for orally ingested microplastics. To investigate the impact of ingested MPs on the gut microbiome and the metabolome, 8 weeks-old male and female C57/BL6 mice were orally gavaged mixed plastic (5 um) exposure consisting of polystyrene, polyethylene, and the biodegradable/biocompatible plastic, poly-(lactic-co-glycolic acid) twice a week for 4 weeks at 0, 2, or 4 mg/week (n = 8/group). Fecal pellets were collected for bacterial DNA extraction and metagenomic shotgun sequencing, and serum was subjected to targeted and untargeted metabolomics. MPs exposure resulted in significant sex-specific and dose-dependent changes to the gut microbiome composition along with substantial regulation of the predicted metabolic pathways. Untargeted metabolomics in serum showed that a low MPs dose displayed a more prominent effect on key metabolic pathways such as amino acid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and inflammation. Additionally, SCFA-targeted metabolomics showed significant changes in neuroprotective SCFAs levels in both sexes by MPs exposure. In conclusion, our study has demonstrated that microplastics dysregulate the gut microbiome and serum metabolome, providing critical insights into potential human disease risks associated with microplastic contamination.
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In vivo exposure of mixed microplastic particles in mice and its impacts on the murine gut microbiome and metabolome
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Researchers exposed mice to a mixture of common microplastic types to investigate effects on the gut microbiome and metabolome. The study found that ingested microplastic particles altered gut microbial composition and disrupted metabolic pathways, suggesting that realistic mixed-microplastic exposure may have broader biological effects than single-polymer studies indicate.
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Using advanced metagenomics and metabolomics techniques, researchers studied how polystyrene microplastic exposure affects the gut microbiome in mice. The study found that microplastics disrupted the balance of gut bacteria and altered metabolic pathways related to amino acids and lipids. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could influence gut health and metabolism, though more research is needed to understand the implications for human health.
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