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Emerging threat of environmental microplastics: A comprehensive analysis of hepatic metabolic dysregulation and hepatocellular damage (Review)
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This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics damage the liver, which is a key organ for filtering toxins from the body. Studies show that microplastics can cause liver tissue damage, trigger cell death, and disrupt fat metabolism, with smaller particles and longer exposure causing worse effects. The findings highlight the liver as a particularly vulnerable organ because it accumulates microplastics that enter the body through food and water.
The substantial rise in global plastic production has led to the widespread accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in the soil, water and atmosphere. Inevitably, animals and humans have ingested these MPs through environmental contact, resulting in their accumulation within the liver. The elucidation of the hepatotoxic effects of MPs in animals, and in particular on human liver pathophysiology, is now a central topic of investigation in the study of environmental particulate toxicology. The present review summarised existing studies on how MPs damage the liver, and in particular, highlighted the mechanisms of action and the key influencing factors. There is evidence that indicates that MPs can damage the liver tissue structure, induce liver cell death and disrupt lipid metabolism, and that particle size and exposure time are important factors influencing the adverse effects of MPs on the liver. However, further research is required to comprehensively elucidate the mechanisms by which MPs induce liver injury and the long‑term health risks they pose.
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This review links human exposure to microplastics, their accumulation in the liver and proposed mechanisms of liver toxicity, including oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death. Most of the evidence comes from cell, animal and organoid studies. It also discusses candidate interventions that are still at the research stage.
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