Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to polyethylene microplastics and house dust mites aggravates airway epithelial barrier dysfunction and airway inflammation via CXCL1 signaling pathway in a mouse model

In a mouse model of asthma, co-exposure to inhaled polyethylene microplastics and house dust mite allergens caused worse airway inflammation than either pollutant alone. The microplastics damaged the airway lining and amplified allergic reactions through a specific inflammatory signaling pathway called CXCL1. This finding suggests that breathing in airborne microplastics could make allergies and asthma worse by helping allergens penetrate deeper into the lungs.

2024 International Immunopharmacology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induced lung injury in mice: Insights into lung metabolic disorders

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics through the airway and found that the particles caused lung inflammation and tissue damage. Using metabolomics analysis, they discovered that the nanoplastics disrupted multiple metabolic pathways in lung tissue, with surface-modified particles causing more severe effects. The study provides evidence that inhaled nanoplastics can alter lung metabolism in ways that may contribute to respiratory health problems.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene particles induces asthma-like Th2-mediated lung injury through IL-33 secretion

Researchers found that inhaled polystyrene microplastic particles triggered asthma-like inflammation in the lungs of mice, with smaller particles causing more severe responses. The particles stimulated the release of IL-33, a signaling molecule that activates a specific type of immune response associated with allergic airway disease. The study identifies a potential mechanism by which airborne microplastics could contribute to respiratory inflammation.

2025 Environment International 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to microplastics enhances the allergenic potentials of house dust mite allergen Der p 1

This study found that polystyrene microplastics can make common house dust mite allergens more potent, increasing allergic reactions. The microplastics changed the shape of the allergen protein, boosting its ability to trigger immune responses and worsening airway inflammation in mice. This research suggests that indoor microplastic pollution could be contributing to the rising rates of allergies and asthma by making existing allergens more harmful.

2025 Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to polystyrene microplastics triggers lung injury via targeting toll-like receptor 2 and activation of the NF-κB signal in mice

This mouse study found that inhaling polystyrene microplastics caused serious lung damage, including inflammation, cell death, and scar tissue buildup. Smaller microplastics (1-5 micrometers) caused more harm than larger ones, and the damage worsened with longer exposure. The study identified a specific immune pathway (TLR2/NF-kB) through which inhaled microplastics trigger lung injury, raising concerns about the respiratory effects of airborne microplastics on humans.

2023 Environmental Pollution 116 citations
Article Tier 2

In vitro evaluation of nanoplastics using human lung epithelial cells, microarray analysis and co-culture model

Researchers tested polystyrene nanoplastics on two types of human lung cells and found that the particles caused cell damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation-related gene changes at relatively low concentrations. Using a co-culture model that mimics the lung's layered structure, they showed that nanoplastics can trigger immune responses even in cells not directly exposed. The study suggests that inhaled nanoplastics may pose respiratory health risks through both direct toxicity and inflammatory signaling.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 199 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the Pulmonary Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics: A Hierarchical Oxidative Stress Mechanism Driving Acute–Subacute Lung Injury

Researchers investigated the pulmonary toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics smaller than 100 nm in lung epithelial cells and macrophages, finding that exposure triggered a hierarchical oxidative stress mechanism that drove acute to subacute lung injury through lipid peroxidation and inflammation.

2025 Research
Article Tier 2

Acute exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces unfolded protein response and global protein ubiquitination in lungs of mice

Mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics through their airways showed signs of cellular stress in lung tissue, including activation of the unfolded protein response (a defense mechanism cells use when proteins are damaged) and increased protein breakdown. The effects were dose-dependent, with higher nanoplastic doses causing more cellular distress. This research reveals a specific mechanism by which inhaled nanoplastics could damage lung cells, raising concerns about airborne microplastic exposure.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent toxicity of polystyrene microplastics in lung cells: An in vivo and in vitro study

Researchers investigated the size-dependent toxicity of polystyrene microplastics in lung cells using both mouse and cell culture models. The study found that smaller 1-micrometer particles accumulated more in lung tissue than larger particles and identified epithelial-mesenchymal transition as a key toxic mechanism, driven by ECM-MMP signaling cascades that contribute to lung injury.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut-lung axis: a novel mechanism involving microbiota dysbiosis-coordinated PLA2-TRPV1 neuroimmune crosstalk in nanoplastic-induced asthma exacerbation

Researchers found that inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics worsen asthma in mice by triggering a chain reaction involving gut bacteria disruption, nerve-immune signaling, and airway inflammation, revealing a gut-lung connection where plastic particles in the body can amplify respiratory disease through multiple biological pathways at once.

2026 Environment International
Article Tier 2

Sterile inflammation induced by respirable micro and nano polystyrene particles in the pathogenesis of pulmonary diseases

Researchers exposed human lung and immune cells to polystyrene micro and nanoparticles and found they triggered a type of inflammation that does not require infection, called sterile inflammation. Aged (oxidized) particles and those that interacted with immune cells were especially potent at activating inflammatory pathways including the NLRP3 inflammasome. This suggests that breathing in airborne microplastics could cause chronic lung inflammation over time.

2024 Toxicology Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics mediate oxidative stress, senescence, and apoptosis in a human alveolar epithelial cell line

A cell study found that polystyrene nanoplastics cause dose-dependent damage to human lung cells, triggering oxidative stress, premature cell aging, and cell death. These findings suggest that breathing in nanoplastics could harm lung tissue over time and potentially contribute to cancer risk from air pollution.

2024 Frontiers in Public Health 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure of polystyrene nanoplastics and ozone synergistically induced airway inflammation: Evidence and biomarkers screening

Researchers discovered that co-exposure to airborne polystyrene nanoplastics and ozone in mice caused significantly worse airway inflammation than either pollutant alone, with the two acting synergistically. They identified specific metabolic pathways and genes involved in the inflammatory response, providing potential biomarkers for monitoring this type of combined exposure. The findings suggest that breathing in nanoplastics alongside common air pollutants like ozone may pose amplified respiratory health risks.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic particles: In vitro pulmonary toxicity assessment

Researchers tested the effects of polystyrene microplastics on human lung cells in the laboratory and found that the particles triggered inflammation and oxidative stress. The microplastics also weakened the protective barrier function of lung tissue by depleting key structural proteins. The study suggests that inhaling microplastics may increase the risk of respiratory problems by damaging the lung's natural defenses.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 654 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics induce nasal and lung microbial dysbiosis in mice

Researchers found that airborne polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics can induce microbial dysbiosis in the nasal passages and lungs of mice. The study showed that both micro- and nanoplastics altered airway microbiota composition, with microplastics having a stronger influence on lung bacterial communities, suggesting that inhaled plastic particles may disrupt respiratory microbial balance.

2022 Chemosphere 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to nanoplastics and food allergy in mice fed a normal or high-fat diet

Researchers studied how oral exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics affects food allergy responses in mice fed either a normal or high-fat diet. They found that nanoplastics worsened allergic reactions to a food protein, particularly in mice on the high-fat diet, by increasing gut permeability and shifting immune responses. The study suggests that the combination of nanoplastic exposure and a Western-style diet may be contributing to the rising prevalence of food allergies.

2025 Chemosphere 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of pulmonary toxicity evaluation on mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics: The potential protective role of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine

Researchers investigated lung damage in mice exposed to inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics and tested whether the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine could offer protection. They found that nanoplastics caused significant lung inflammation, tissue damage, and oxidative stress, but N-acetylcysteine treatment helped reduce these harmful effects. The study suggests that oxidative stress is a key mechanism behind nanoplastic-induced lung injury and points to potential protective strategies.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Internalization and toxicity: A preliminary study of effects of nanoplastic particles on human lung epithelial cell

Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene nanoplastic particles on human lung cells and found that the particles were internalized by the cells and caused dose-dependent toxicity. The nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress, inflammation, and disrupted normal cell function. The findings suggest that inhaling airborne nanoplastics may pose risks to respiratory health.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 613 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induce pulmonary oxidative stress and programmed cell death through the cGAS-STING-NLRP3 pathway

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics through nasal administration and studied the resulting lung damage over seven days. They found that the nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress, programmed cell death, and inflammatory responses in lung tissue through activation of the cGAS-STING-NLRP3 signaling pathway. The study provides evidence that inhaled nanoplastics can cause acute lung injury through specific molecular mechanisms involving both apoptosis and pyroptosis.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Silent invaders: the role of MPs on epithelium inflammation and damage in airway diseases

This review examines how inhaled microplastics and nanoplastics interact with airway epithelial surfaces and trigger inflammatory, oxidative, and structural changes that may contribute to respiratory diseases. The study describes how these particles activate key inflammatory pathways such as NF-kB and PI3K/Akt/mTOR, potentially worsening conditions like asthma and COPD through enhanced barrier dysfunction, oxidative stress, and disrupted tissue repair.

2026 Frontiers in Allergy
Article Tier 2

Nasal instillation of polystyrene nanoplastics induce lung injury via mitochondrial DNA release and activation of the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes-signaling cascade

Researchers showed that inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics trigger lung fibrosis and inflammation in mice by inducing mitochondrial DNA release into the cytoplasm, which activates the cGAS-STING innate immune signaling pathway — a discovery that identifies a specific molecular mechanism linking nanoplastic inhalation to pulmonary injury.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics drives ILC2s function and fatty acid metabolism in allergic airway inflammation via PPARγ signaling

Researchers found that microplastics exacerbate allergic airway inflammation in house dust mite-sensitized mice by promoting epithelial barrier disruption and type 2 immune activation. The study revealed that microplastics drive the function of innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and alter fatty acid metabolism through the PPARgamma signaling pathway, providing mechanistic insight into how airborne microplastics may worsen respiratory allergies.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate aggravates allergic asthma through the TRPA1-p38 MAPK pathway

This mouse study found that polystyrene microplastics combined with DEHP, a common plastic additive, worsened allergic asthma symptoms more than either pollutant alone. The combination activated an inflammatory pathway called TRPA1-p38 MAPK in lung tissue, increasing airway inflammation and mucus production. The findings suggest that real-world exposure to microplastics carrying chemical additives could aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma.

2023 Toxicology Letters 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Intratracheal administration of polystyrene microplastics induces pulmonary fibrosis by activating oxidative stress and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in mice

Researchers administered polystyrene microplastics directly into the lungs of mice and found that the particles induced pulmonary fibrosis by triggering oxidative stress and activating the Wnt signaling pathway. The microplastics caused damage to the lung lining cells and promoted the buildup of scar tissue in lung tissue. The study provides evidence that inhaled microplastics may contribute to serious respiratory conditions by driving fibrotic changes in the lungs.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 168 citations