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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Combined exposure to microplastics and particulate matter induced intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction
ClearEffects of microplastics and tetracycline on intestinal injury in mice
Researchers found that mice exposed to both microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline suffered more intestinal damage than those exposed to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure caused distinct injuries across different segments of the intestine and disrupted gut bacteria composition. This is concerning because humans are commonly exposed to both microplastics and antibiotic residues through food and water.
Intestinal barrier disruption by cadmium and microplastics: Mechanistic insights from integrated metabolomic and proteomic analysis in mice
A mouse study found that combined exposure to cadmium (a toxic metal) and microplastics caused more severe intestinal damage than either pollutant alone. The co-exposure disrupted key metabolic pathways and compromised the gut barrier, potentially promoting cancer cell growth and invasion. Since both cadmium and microplastics are widespread environmental contaminants that humans encounter together, this research highlights the importance of studying how multiple pollutants interact to harm health.
Polystyrene microplastics exposure increases the disruption of intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota homeostasis during obesity and aging
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic exposure worsened intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice on high-fat diets, with the combination of obesity and microplastic exposure producing greater gut permeability and inflammation than either factor alone, suggesting compounding risks in metabolically vulnerable individuals.
Continuous oral exposure to micro- and nanoplastics induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, intestinal barrier and immune dysfunction in adult mice
Researchers fed mice micro- and nanoplastics at environmentally relevant levels and found significant gut damage, including disrupted gut bacteria, weakened intestinal barriers, and reduced immune function. The ratio of beneficial to harmful gut bacteria shifted, and immune cells in the gut decreased. Importantly, the duration of exposure and the size of plastic particles mattered more than the amount consumed, suggesting even low-level long-term exposure could harm gut health.
Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics alters gut morphology, immune response, and microbiota composition in mice
Researchers fed mice polyethylene microplastics of two sizes commonly found in human stool for six weeks and examined the effects on gut health. The study found that microplastic exposure altered gut structure, disrupted immune cell function, changed gene expression related to inflammation and gut barrier integrity, and shifted the composition of gut bacteria. Mice exposed to both sizes simultaneously showed the most severe effects, suggesting that real-world exposure to mixed microplastic sizes may compound the damage.
Microplastic-contaminated antibiotics as an emerging threat to mammalian liver: enhanced oxidative and inflammatory damages
Researchers used a mouse model to study what happens when microplastics contaminated with antibiotics are ingested together, simulating real-world food chain exposure. The study found that the combination caused enhanced oxidative stress and inflammatory damage in the liver compared to either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that microplastics carrying adsorbed antibiotics may pose a greater threat to liver health than microplastics or antibiotics individually.
Toxicity evaluation of micro- and nanoplastic particles, with co-exposure to metal ions on human intestinal models
This study exposed human intestinal cell models to both micro- and nanoplastic particles combined with metal ions to test combined toxicity effects. The results showed that co-exposure can amplify harmful effects on intestinal cells compared to either contaminant alone. This is relevant to human health because people are simultaneously exposed to microplastics and heavy metals through food, meaning the gut may face synergistic stressors that single-contaminant studies would miss.
Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics exacerbates the effects of a Western-style diet on the digestive tract of adult male mice
Researchers investigated how oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics interacts with a Western-style diet to affect the digestive tract of mice over 90 days. The study found that microplastics exacerbated diet-related intestinal disruption, suggesting that dietary context plays an important role in determining the health impact of microplastic ingestion.
Gut–Liver Axis Mediates the Combined Hepatointestinal Toxicity of Triclosan and Polystyrene Microplastics in Mice: Implications for Human Co-Exposure Risks
Mice co-exposed to the antimicrobial triclosan and polystyrene microplastics showed markedly worse intestinal and liver damage than those exposed to either contaminant alone, with gut microbiome disruption identified as a key mediating mechanism.
Combined exposure to polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene microplastics induces liver injury and perturbs gut microbial and serum metabolic homeostasis in mice
Mice exposed to a combination of PVC and polystyrene microplastics for 60 days developed liver damage, gut barrier breakdown, and disrupted gut bacteria. The co-exposure also raised cholesterol and triglyceride levels in both blood and liver, and altered hundreds of metabolites related to fat metabolism. Since people are typically exposed to multiple types of microplastics simultaneously, this study suggests the combined effects may be worse than exposure to a single type alone.
Effects of microplastics and tetracycline induced intestinal damage, intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, and antibiotic resistome: metagenomic analysis in young mice
Young mice exposed to both polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline suffered worse intestinal damage than those exposed to either pollutant alone. The combination severely disrupted the gut barrier, altered gut bacteria, and increased antibiotic resistance genes in the intestines. This is especially concerning for children, whose developing gut systems may be more vulnerable to the combined effects of microplastics and antibiotics commonly found in the environment.
In vivo exposure of mixed microplastic particles in mice and its impacts on the murine gut microbiome and metabolome
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.
Synergistic toxicity of nanoplastics and Helicobacter pylori on digestive system in mice
Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori on the digestive systems of mice. They found that co-exposure caused more severe damage to the stomach, colon, and liver than either stressor alone, including increased inflammation and disrupted gut barrier function. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination may worsen the health effects of common gut infections.
Exacerbation of polyethylene microplastics in animal models of DSS-induced colitis through damage to intestinal epithelial cell conjunctions
Researchers tested the effects of UV-aged polyethylene microplastics on mice with chemically induced colitis, a model for inflammatory bowel disease. They found that the microplastics worsened intestinal inflammation by damaging the junctions between intestinal lining cells, weakening the gut barrier. The study suggests that microplastic exposure could aggravate existing gut conditions by compromising the protective intestinal wall.
Co-exposure with cadmium elevates the toxicity of microplastics: Trojan horse effect from the perspective of intestinal barrier
When mice were exposed to both microplastics and the toxic metal cadmium together, the health damage to their intestines and liver was significantly worse than exposure to either pollutant alone. The microplastics acted like a "Trojan horse," carrying cadmium past the gut barrier and increasing its accumulation in the body, while also disrupting the gut microbiome.
Perturbation of gut microbiota plays an important role in micro/nanoplastics-induced gut barrier dysfunction
Researchers investigated how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt gut barrier function in mice, finding that different surface chemistries caused varying levels of damage. The study suggests that these plastic particles harm the gut by altering the gut microbiome, which then leads to inflammation and weakening of the intestinal barrier that normally keeps harmful substances out of the body.
Polystyrene Microplastics and Bisphenol A Exposure Worsen Intestinal Injury in Diabetic Mice by Disrupting Gut Microbiota and Metabolites
Researchers exposed diabetic mice to polystyrene microplastics and bisphenol A, then examined intestinal effects using metabolomics and gut microbiome sequencing. The study found that both pollutants worsened intestinal injury in diabetic mice by disrupting gut barrier proteins, altering beneficial metabolites like long-chain fatty acids, and shifting gut microbial composition toward less favorable species.
Polyvinyl chloride microplastics induced gut barrier dysfunction, microbiota dysbiosis and metabolism disorder in adult mice
Researchers exposed adult mice to PVC microplastics for 60 days and observed significant damage to the intestinal barrier, including reduced mucus production and increased gut permeability. The exposure also caused notable shifts in gut bacteria composition and altered metabolic profiles in ways associated with intestinal injury. These findings suggest that chronic microplastic ingestion may disrupt gut health by weakening the intestinal lining and changing the microbiome.
Co-exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and glyphosate promotes intestinal apoptosis in mice via intestinal barrier impairment and immunoinflammatory dysregulation
Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics and the herbicide glyphosate — alone and combined — for 35 days, finding that both contaminants damaged the intestinal barrier, depleted goblet cells, and disrupted gut microbiota, with glyphosate driving the strongest pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic responses and nanoplastics further impairing immune regulation in cell culture experiments.
Synergistic Toxicity of Combined Exposure to Acrylamide and Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Gut–Liver Axis in Mice
Researchers exposed mice to a combination of acrylamide, a common food processing byproduct, and polystyrene nanoplastics through drinking water and found that the combined exposure caused more severe gut and liver damage than either substance alone. The co-exposure disrupted gut barrier integrity, altered gut bacteria composition, and caused widespread metabolic changes. The study suggests that the interaction between nanoplastics and other food contaminants may amplify health risks beyond what each poses individually.
Influence of Microplastics on Morphological Manifestations of Experimental Acute Colitis
Researchers fed polystyrene microplastics to mice for six weeks and found that healthy mice developed changes in their colon lining, including altered mucus composition and immune cell populations. When mice with experimentally induced colitis also consumed microplastics, their intestinal inflammation was significantly more severe. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may worsen inflammatory bowel conditions.
Trojan horse in the intestine: A review on the biotoxicity of microplastics combined environmental contaminants
This review examines how microplastics act as 'Trojan horses' by carrying other environmental contaminants such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and pathogens into the intestinal system. Researchers analyzed the mechanisms by which microplastics adsorb and release these co-contaminants and how the combinations affect the gut barrier. The study highlights that the interactive toxicity of microplastics with other pollutants may be more harmful than either pollutant alone, particularly to intestinal health.
Microbial diversity and metabolomics analysis of colon contents exposed to cadmium and polystyrene microplastics
Researchers investigated how cadmium alone and combined with polystyrene microplastics affects the colon of mice over 42 days. The study found that combined exposure caused more severe intestinal damage than cadmium alone, with distinct changes in gut microbial diversity and metabolic pathways, including shifts in bile acid metabolism and increased abundance of certain bacterial species.
Effects induced by polyethylene microplastics oral exposure on colon mucin release, inflammation, gut microflora composition and metabolism in mice
Researchers fed mice polyethylene microplastics for 30 days and found that even low doses reduced protective mucus in the colon, altered inflammation markers, and shifted the composition of gut bacteria. The microplastics increased the ratio of Bacteroides to Firmicutes bacteria and affected metabolic pathways in the gut microbiome. The study suggests that oral microplastic exposure may disrupt intestinal health by modifying the gut microbial community and its metabolism.