Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and bisphenol A results in mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis via the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in mice kidneys

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with bisphenol A for six weeks and found that co-exposure caused significant kidney damage through mitochondrial dysfunction and a form of cell death called ferroptosis. The combined exposure was more harmful than either contaminant alone, operating through the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. The findings suggest that nanoplastics acting as carriers for co-pollutants like BPA may amplify toxic effects on kidney tissue.

2025 Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Mechanismof Kidney Injury in Mice Inducedby High-Fat Diet and Polystyrene Nanoplastics Co-Exposure Throughthe Kidney-Gut Axis

This mouse study found that combining a high-fat diet with polystyrene nanoplastic exposure (100 nm, 25 mg/kg/day) worsened kidney toxicity beyond high-fat diet alone, with the combination disrupting lipid metabolism via tryptophan and glycerophospholipid pathways and exacerbating gut microbiota dysbiosis through the kidney-gut axis.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Aging amplifies the combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and norfloxacin on human intestinal cells

Researchers investigated how environmental aging of polystyrene nanoplastics affects their combined toxicity with the antibiotic norfloxacin on human intestinal cells. They found that aged nanoplastics were taken up more readily by cells and significantly amplified the harmful effects of the antibiotic, including increased cell damage. The study suggests that weathered nanoplastics in the environment may pose greater health risks than fresh particles, especially when combined with other contaminants.

2025 Environmental Science Nano 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Issue Information‐ToC

This brief notice indicates a paper in the journal issue that examines how polystyrene nanoplastics worsen inflammation-triggered cell death (apoptosis) in mouse kidney cells exposed to bacterial toxins. The interaction between nanoplastics and inflammatory signals may amplify kidney damage beyond what either stressor alone would cause.

2023 Journal of Cellular Physiology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of cadmium and polystyrene nanoplastics induced oxidative stress, ferroptosis and excessive mitophagy in mice kidney

A mouse study found that combined exposure to cadmium (a toxic metal) and polystyrene nanoplastics caused more kidney damage than either pollutant alone. The combination triggered a harmful chain reaction involving oxidative stress, iron buildup, and excessive breakdown of cellular energy factories called mitochondria. This is significant because people are often exposed to both nanoplastics and heavy metals simultaneously, and their combined effects may be worse than expected.

2023 Environmental Pollution 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics aggravates lipopolysaccharide‐induced apoptosis in mouse kidney cells by regulating IRE1/XBP1 endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway via oxidative stress

Researchers investigated whether polystyrene nanoplastics could worsen kidney cell damage caused by bacterial toxins in mice. They found that nanoplastics aggravated cell death by triggering oxidative stress, which activated a specific endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway involving the IRE1/XBP1 signaling cascade. The study suggests that combined exposure to nanoplastics and bacterial compounds may pose greater risks to kidney health than either stressor alone.

2022 Journal of Cellular Physiology 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Screening for polystyrene nanoparticle toxicity on kidneys of adult male albino rats using histopathological, biochemical, and molecular examination results

Researchers found that oral exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles caused significant kidney damage in rats, including oxidative stress, impaired renal function, and tissue alterations that worsened with increasing dose, demonstrating their nephrotoxic potential.

2022 Cell and Tissue Research 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Mechanism of Kidney Injury in Mice Induced by High-Fat Diet and Polystyrene Nanoplastics Co-Exposure Through the Kidney-Gut Axis

In a mouse study, the combination of a high-fat diet and polystyrene nanoplastics caused worse kidney damage than either exposure alone, working through the kidney-gut connection. The nanoplastics plus high-fat diet disrupted gut bacteria, increased inflammation, and triggered a harmful immune response that traveled from the gut to the kidneys. This suggests that people who eat high-fat diets may be more vulnerable to kidney damage from nanoplastic exposure.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induce apoptosis of human kidney proximal tubular epithelial cells via oxidative stress and MAPK signaling pathways

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics cause programmed cell death in human kidney tubular cells through oxidative stress and activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. The toxic effects were dependent on both the size and dose of the nanoplastics, with smaller particles causing more damage. The study identifies specific molecular mechanisms by which nanoplastics may contribute to kidney cell injury.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure of arsenic and polystyrene-nanoplastics induced kidney injury by disrupting mitochondrial homeostasis and mtROS-mediated ferritinophagy and ferroptosis

Researchers found that arsenic and polystyrene nanoplastics together — but not separately — cause kidney fibrosis in mice by disrupting mitochondrial function and triggering a form of iron-dependent cell death called ferroptosis, with mitochondria-targeted antioxidants significantly reducing the combined damage.

2024 Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Amplified toxic effects of nanoplastic composite norfloxacin on liver cells in mice: Mechanistic insights and multiscale evaluation

Researchers examined the combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin on mouse liver cells and found that co-exposure was significantly more harmful than either contaminant alone. The nanoplastics acted as carriers that increased antibiotic accumulation inside cells, amplifying oxidative damage and disrupting key protective enzymes. The study highlights that nanoplastics in the environment can worsen the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants like antibiotics.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics-induced oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, and physiological response in exposed Wistar albino rats

Researchers orally exposed Wistar rats to polystyrene nanoplastics at multiple doses for five weeks and observed dose-dependent increases in oxidative stress. The study found significant alterations in liver and kidney function markers, disrupted energy metabolism, and changes in antioxidant enzyme activity, suggesting that nanoplastic exposure may affect multiple organ systems in mammals.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induced nephrotoxicity associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in juvenile rats

This study found that polystyrene microplastics caused kidney damage in young rats through a combination of oxidative stress, inflammation, and a cellular stress response called endoplasmic reticulum stress. The microplastics also reduced body weight growth and affected multiple organs including the heart and ovaries. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure during development could be particularly harmful to kidney health in young, growing organisms.

2023 Frontiers in Nutrition 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics trigger the aging and inflammation of porcine kidney cells

Researchers exposed pig kidney cells to nanoplastics in the laboratory and found that the particles were absorbed into cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress, leading to a buildup of reactive oxygen species in mitochondria, which in turn caused inflammatory responses and premature cell aging. The findings provide new evidence that nanoplastic exposure may contribute to kidney cell damage through oxidative stress pathways.

2024 Toxicology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of nanoplastics and 3-BHA at environmentally relevant concentrations significantly aggravated kidney injury via TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway in mice

Researchers investigated combined exposure to nanoplastics and the synthetic antioxidant 3-BHA at environmentally relevant concentrations, finding that the combination caused greater disruption to renal function than either contaminant alone, suggesting synergistic kidney toxicity.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

The combined effects of polystyrene of different sizes and cadmium in mouse kidney tissues

Researchers studied how polystyrene particles of different sizes combined with cadmium affect kidney health in mice. They found that smaller nanoplastic particles (100 nm) caused more severe kidney damage than larger ones (1 micrometer), and that exposure to both sizes together with cadmium produced the worst outcomes. The study suggests that in real-world conditions where plastics of various sizes coexist with heavy metals, the combined toxic effects on kidneys may be more complicated and harmful than exposure to any single contaminant.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics exacerbated the ecotoxicological and potential carcinogenic effects of tetracycline in juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics significantly worsened the toxic effects of the antibiotic tetracycline in juvenile grass carp. Combined exposure increased oxidative damage, upregulated genes associated with tissue remodeling and inflammation in the liver and intestine, and caused visible tissue lesions in the intestine and gills.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics disrupt renal function, mitochondrial bioenergetics, redox homeostasis, and histoarchitecture in Wistar rats

Researchers gave rats polyethylene microplastics orally for 28 days and found dose-dependent kidney damage, including impaired filtration, electrolyte imbalances, and tissue inflammation. The microplastics depleted antioxidant defenses, increased oxidative stress markers, and disrupted mitochondrial energy production in kidney cells, identifying the kidneys as a critical target of microplastic toxicity.

2025 Scientific Reports 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nano- and microplastics on kidney: Physicochemical properties, bioaccumulation, oxidative stress and immunoreaction

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nano- and microplastics of varying sizes and tracked their accumulation and effects in the kidneys. They found that the particles changed their physical properties during digestion, accumulated in kidney tissue, and caused oxidative stress and immune responses. The study suggests that plastic particle size plays an important role in determining the extent of kidney-related harm.

2021 Chemosphere 213 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of nanosized polystyrene and erythromycin on bacterial growth and resistance mutations in Escherichia coli

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics — particularly amino-modified and 30 nm particles — increased antibiotic resistance mutations in Escherichia coli by inducing oxidative DNA damage and the bacterial SOS stress response, and that positively charged particles synergistically enhanced erythromycin toxicity by acting as antibiotic carriers.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics to human embryonic kidney cells and human normal liver cells: Effect of particle size and Pb2+ enrichment

Researchers tested polystyrene nanoplastics on human kidney and liver cells and found that particles smaller than 100 nanometers caused significant cell death, with kidney cells being more vulnerable. When nanoplastics carried lead contamination from water, their toxicity increased further. The study suggests that while nanoplastics alone in drinking water may pose limited risk, their ability to concentrate heavy metals is a serious concern.

2023 Chemosphere 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects and mechanisms of renal injury induced by inhalation exposure to airborne nanoplastics

Researchers studied what happens to mouse kidneys after breathing in airborne polystyrene nanoplastics and found the particles accumulated in kidney tissue after entering through the lungs. The nanoplastics activated stress and inflammation pathways that led to kidney cell damage and death. Testing on lab-grown human kidney organoids showed they were even more sensitive to nanoplastic exposure than standard cell lines, suggesting developing kidneys in embryos could be particularly vulnerable.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics exacerbated lipopolysaccharide‐induced necroptosis and inflammation via the ROS/MAPK pathway in mice spleen

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics worsened the inflammatory damage caused by bacterial toxins in the spleens of mice. The nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress that activated inflammatory signaling pathways, leading to cell death, and these effects were significantly amplified when nanoplastics were combined with bacterial endotoxin. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure may compromise the immune system's ability to handle infections and inflammation.

2022 Environmental Toxicology 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic toxicity and uptake in kidney cells: differential effects of concentration, particle size, and polymer type

Human proximal tubule kidney cells were exposed to carboxylated polystyrene and PMMA nanoplastics of different sizes for 24 hours, revealing that cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and oxidative stress were strongly dependent on particle concentration, size, and polymer type.

2025