Papers

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Article Tier 2

Comparative Analysis of Metabolic Dysfunctions Associated with Pristine and Aged Polyethylene Microplastic Exposure via the Liver-Gut Axis in Mice

Mice fed both new and weathered polyethylene microplastics developed disrupted fat metabolism, liver oxidative stress, and shifts in gut bacteria, with weathered (aged) particles causing more severe effects. This study suggests that the microplastics people encounter in the real world, which have been degraded by sunlight and time, may be more harmful than the pristine particles typically used in lab studies.

2025 ACS Nano 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics of adult male mice fed a normal or western-style diet: impact on gut and gut-liver axis homeostasis

Researchers orally exposed adult male mice to polyethylene microplastics under both normal and high-fat diets, assessing effects on the gastrointestinal tract. The study found that diet influences microplastic-induced gut changes, with greater effects observed in animals fed a western-style high-fat diet.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Dysbiosis of gut microbiota in C57BL/6-Lepem1hwl/Korl mice during microplastics-caused hepatic metabolism disruption

Researchers administered polypropylene microplastics orally to obese mice for 9 weeks and found disruption of hepatic lipid, glucose, and amino acid metabolism alongside structural changes in gut microbiota, with microplastic-treated mice showing decreased hepatic lipid accumulation and altered abundance of specific bacterial genera.

2025 PLoS ONE 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics of adult male mice fed a normal or western-style diet: impact on gut and gut-liver axis homeostasis

Researchers exposed adult male mice to polyethylene microplastics on normal or Western diet for 90 days, examining synergistic effects between plastic and dietary stress on gut and liver health. Microplastic exposure disrupted gut barrier integrity, altered the microbiome, and affected liver homeostasis, with some effects differing between normal and Western diet groups.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Chronic exposure to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics induces gut microbiota dysbiosis and disordered hepatic lipid metabolism in mice

Researchers found that mice exposed to PET microplastics (the type commonly found in plastic bottles) over 17 weeks developed liver damage, including fat buildup, oxidative stress, and cell death. The study revealed that the damage was driven by changes in gut bacteria that altered lipid metabolism, and when researchers depleted the gut bacteria, the liver damage was reduced. This suggests the gut microbiome plays a key role in how microplastics cause harm to internal organs.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce gut microbiota dysbiosis and hepatic lipid metabolism disorder in mice

Researchers fed mice two sizes of polystyrene microplastics for five weeks and observed significant disruption of gut bacteria and changes in liver fat metabolism. The microplastics decreased mucus production in the gut and shifted the balance of key bacterial populations at multiple taxonomic levels. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion can trigger gut microbiota imbalance in mammals, which may in turn affect metabolic health.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 966 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of the Oral Administration of Polystyrene Microplastics on Hepatic Lipid, Glucose, and Amino Acid Metabolism in C57BL/6Korl and C57BL/6-Lepem1hwl/Korl Mice

Researchers investigated the effects of orally administered polystyrene microplastics on liver metabolism in normal and obese mice over eight weeks. They found that microplastic exposure altered lipid, glucose, and amino acid metabolism pathways in the liver and adipose tissues. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion may disrupt hepatic metabolic functions, with potentially different impacts depending on baseline metabolic health status.

2024 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics alters the intestinal environment and metabolic outcomes in mice

In a mouse study, oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics caused fatty liver disease and abnormal blood lipid levels even without prior gut leakiness. The microplastics triggered intestinal inflammation through immune cells, disrupted gut bacteria, and altered how the body processes nutrients. These results suggest that swallowing microplastics could contribute to metabolic problems and liver disease in humans.

2024 Frontiers in Immunology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics induces inflammatory and metabolic changes and promotes fibrosis in mouse liver.

Mice fed polyethylene microplastics in their food for 6 to 9 weeks developed liver inflammation, metabolic disruption, oxidative stress, and increased cell growth in the liver. The microplastics also worsened liver scarring (fibrosis) when tested in mice with pre-existing liver damage. This is the first study to show that ingesting polyethylene, the most common type of plastic, can directly damage the mammalian liver and could worsen existing liver conditions.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular Landscape Remodeling Unravels the Cross-Links of Microplastics-Induced Lipidomic Fluctuations, Nutrient Disorders and Energy Disarrangements

Researchers fed mice polypropylene microplastics chronically and used lipidomics and transcriptomics to show that microplastics accumulated in the liver and disrupted lipid metabolism, cholesterol homeostasis, and redox balance, with high doses causing fibrotic liver changes.

2025 Environment & Health
Article Tier 2

Aged fragmented-polypropylene microplastics induced ageing statues-dependent bioenergetic imbalance and reductive stress: In vivo and liver organoids-based in vitro study

Researchers tested UV-aged polypropylene microplastics from everyday plastic cup lids on mice and lab-grown liver tissue, finding that more heavily aged particles caused greater liver damage. The aged microplastics disrupted energy production in liver cells and caused a harmful buildup of antioxidant molecules, suggesting that the weathered microplastics people encounter in daily life may be more toxic than pristine ones.

2024 Environment International 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics induced gut microbiota dysbiosis leading to liver injury via the TLR2/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in mice

Mice exposed to polyethylene microplastics developed liver damage that was traced back to disrupted gut bacteria -- the microplastics increased harmful bacteria while decreasing beneficial ones, triggering inflammation through the TLR2/NF-kB/NLRP3 immune pathway. This study provides new evidence that microplastics may harm the liver not just through direct contact, but indirectly by first throwing off the balance of gut bacteria.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Proinflammatory properties and lipid disturbance of polystyrene microplastics in the livers of mice with acute colitis

Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the livers of mice fed a high-fat diet and found that the particles triggered significant inflammatory responses and disrupted lipid metabolism. The microplastics worsened fat accumulation in the liver and activated inflammatory signaling pathways. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure combined with a high-fat diet may amplify liver damage and metabolic disturbances.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 202 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic PET‐Microplastic Exposure: Disruption of Gut–Liver Homeostasis and Risk of Hepatic Steatosis

Researchers exposed mice to PET microplastics ground from plastic bottles over 29 weeks and found that the particles caused obesity, liver enlargement, fatty liver disease, and early-stage scarring of liver tissue. The microplastics also disrupted gut bacteria and bile acid metabolism, pointing to damage along the gut-liver connection. The findings raise concerns about the long-term health effects of chronic exposure to the type of microplastics commonly found in food and beverages.

2025 Advanced Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular LandscapeRemodeling Unravels the Cross-Linksof Microplastics-Induced Lipidomic Fluctuations,Nutrient Disorders and Energy Disarrangements

Proteomic and lipidomic profiling of mouse livers after polypropylene microplastic exposure revealed crosstalk between hepatic lipid fluctuations, nutrient metabolism disorders, and energy pathway disarrangements, providing mechanistic insight into microplastic-induced liver toxicity.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-induced gut microbiota and serum metabolic disruption in Sprague-Dawley rats

Researchers exposed rats to a mixture of common microplastic types at concentrations reflecting real-world human exposure and found significant disruptions to gut bacteria and blood metabolites. The microplastic mixture altered the balance of beneficial and harmful gut microbes and changed metabolic pathways related to amino acids and lipids. The study suggests that everyday microplastic exposure from food and water may affect mammalian gut health and metabolism.

2023 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Nano‐plastics disrupt systemic metabolism by remodeling the bile acid–microbiota axis and driving hepatic–intestinal dysfunction

Mice were exposed to polyethylene terephthalate nanoparticles, and researchers used histopathology, metabolomics, and metagenomics to track downstream effects. Nanoplastic ingestion caused severe metabolic disruption—including weight loss, organ atrophy, and liver-intestinal dysfunction—by remodeling the bile acid–gut microbiota axis.

2025 iMeta
Article Tier 2

Hepatic and metabolic outcomes induced by sub-chronic exposure to polystyrene microplastics in mice

Researchers studied the effects of sub-chronic polystyrene microplastic exposure on mouse livers using multiple analytical approaches. They found that microplastics accumulated in liver tissue and caused inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of normal metabolic processes including lipid and amino acid metabolism. The study suggests that prolonged microplastic ingestion may pose significant risks to liver health.

2024 Archives of Toxicology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the impact of micro- and nano-sized polymethyl methacrylate on gut microbiota and liver lipid metabolism: Insights from oral exposure studies

Mice that drank water containing tiny acrylic-type plastic particles (PMMA) for eight weeks developed liver damage, gut microbiome changes, and disrupted fat metabolism. The plastic particles accumulated in the liver and colon, triggering oxidative stress and activating pathways that increased cholesterol production. This study suggests that chronic exposure to even common plastic types through drinking water could harm liver health by disrupting the gut-liver connection.

2025 Environmental Pollution 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular LandscapeRemodeling Unravels the Cross-Linksof Microplastics-Induced Lipidomic Fluctuations,Nutrient Disorders and Energy Disarrangements

This study assessed the liver toxicity of polypropylene microplastics in mice using combined lipidomics and transcriptomics, identifying disrupted lipid metabolism, altered cholesterol handling, and fibrotic tissue remodeling as key pathological outcomes.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Molecular LandscapeRemodeling Unravels the Cross-Linksof Microplastics-Induced Lipidomic Fluctuations,Nutrient Disorders and Energy Disarrangements

This study examined how polypropylene microplastics accumulate in and damage the mouse liver, using integrated lipidomics and transcriptomics to map the molecular landscape of microplastic-induced lipid disruption and metabolic dysfunction.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Effects of frying on microplastics load in fish and implications on health

Researchers investigated the effects of polyethylene microplastics on gut microbiota composition in mice fed a high-fat diet, finding that microplastic exposure altered microbial diversity and increased gut permeability. Co-exposure with a high-fat diet amplified metabolic disruption.

2022 Food Frontiers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics induces hepatotoxicity by altering lipid signatures in C57BL/6J mice

Researchers exposed mice to tiny polystyrene particles for 16 weeks and found the plastics accumulated in their livers, disrupting fat metabolism and energy production. The microplastics altered lipid profiles and interfered with key enzymes involved in cellular energy cycles. The study suggests that long-term microplastic exposure may contribute to liver damage through metabolic disruption.

2023 Chemosphere 22 citations