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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Unseen Threats: The Long‐term Impact of PET‐Microplastics on Development of Male Reproductive Over a Lifetime
ClearAssessing the impact of sub-chronic polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastic exposure on male reproductive health in mice
Researchers exposed male mice to nanoplastics made from PET (the same plastic used in water bottles and food containers) and found significant damage to their reproductive health. The nanoplastics reduced sperm quality, damaged testicular tissue, and disrupted hormone levels, raising concerns about how everyday plastic packaging may affect male fertility.
Exploring the impact of polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics on male reproductive health: Insights from a mouse model study
Researchers investigated the impact of polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics on male reproductive health, examining whether nanoplastic exposure contributes to infertility by affecting sperm function, hormone levels, or testicular tissue. Results showed PET nanoplastics impaired reproductive endpoints in the male reproductive system, adding to growing concern about plastic particle effects on fertility.
Exploring the impact of polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics on male reproductive health: Insights from a mouse model study
Researchers investigated the effects of PET nanoplastics on male reproductive function, examining sperm quality, hormone levels, and testicular tissue in animal models. PET nanoplastic exposure reduced sperm motility and caused histological changes in testicular tissue, suggesting a potential role in male infertility.
Microplastics: A Threat for Male Fertility
This review examines the growing evidence that microplastics may pose a threat to male fertility in mammals. Researchers found that these tiny plastic particles can enter the body through food and water, accumulate in tissues, and carry environmental pollutants that may act as hormone disruptors. Recent studies suggest that microplastic exposure is associated with changes in sperm quality, making them a potential concern for reproductive health.
Lactating exposure to microplastics at the dose of infants ingested during artificial feeding induced reproductive toxicity in female mice and their offspring
When nursing mice were exposed to microplastics at levels matching what infants ingest from plastic baby bottles, the mothers developed reproductive problems including delayed puberty, irregular cycles, and reduced fertility. Strikingly, their male offspring also showed decreased sperm count and quality, even though they were only exposed through breast milk. This suggests microplastics can cause reproductive harm that passes from mother to child, with males being especially vulnerable.
Unraveling the threat: Microplastics and nano-plastics' impact on reproductive viability across ecosystems
This review summarizes research on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect reproduction across many species, from aquatic invertebrates to mammals including humans. In males, exposure leads to testicular damage, lower sperm quality, and hormone disruption; in females, it causes ovarian and uterine problems, inflammation, and reduced fertility. The evidence also shows these reproductive harms can be passed to offspring, raising serious concerns about long-term effects on human fertility.
Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastic Exposure Induced Reproductive Toxicity Through Oxidative Stress and p38 Signaling Pathway Activation in Male Mice
Male mice exposed to PET microplastics (the type found in plastic bottles and clothing) for 42 days showed significant reproductive damage, including lower sperm quality and testicular tissue injury. The damage was caused by oxidative stress activating a specific cell-death pathway called p38 signaling, and was reversed when researchers blocked these pathways. This study identifies a clear mechanism by which a very common type of microplastic could harm male fertility.
Reproductive toxicity of polystyrene microplastics: In vivo experimental study on testicular toxicity in mice
Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics and examined the effects on male reproductive function. They found that microplastic exposure significantly reduced viable sperm count, increased sperm abnormalities, and caused structural damage to testicular tissue, suggesting that microplastics may pose risks to male fertility.
Polystyrene microplastics cause reproductive toxicity in male mice
Male mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics for six weeks showed significant reproductive damage, including reduced sperm count and motility, lower testosterone levels, and visible tissue damage in the testes. The microplastics caused oxidative stress and triggered cell death pathways in the reproductive tissue. These findings add to growing evidence that microplastic exposure could contribute to declining male fertility.
Impact of leachate from boiled-water-treated plastic products on male reproductive health: insights from transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling
Mice exposed daily for six months to leachates from five common plastic types — including polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET — showed testicular tissue damage, reduced sperm production, and significant disruptions to gene expression and metabolic pathways related to male reproductive function. The chemicals that leached from the plastics when treated with boiling water (simulating cooking or hot beverage preparation) drove hormonal and cellular changes consistent with reduced fertility. This study raises practical concerns about the reproductive health risks of using plastic cookware and food containers with hot liquids.
Enhanced reproductive toxicities induced by phthalates contaminated microplastics in male mice (Mus musculus)
Researchers investigated the combined reproductive toxicity of phthalate-contaminated microplastics in male mice over a 30-day exposure period. They found that microplastics enhanced the accumulation of phthalates in the liver and gut, and the combination significantly worsened reproductive damage including reduced sperm quality and testicular tissue changes. The study suggests that microplastics may amplify the harmful effects of chemical contaminants they carry by increasing their bioavailability in the body.
Prenatal and postnatal exposure to polystyrene microplastics induces testis developmental disorder and affects male fertility in mice
Researchers exposed pregnant mice and their offspring to polystyrene microplastics from gestation through early life and found significant disruption to testicular development and male reproductive function. The exposed males showed reduced sperm quality, lower testosterone levels, and structural damage to testicular tissue. The study suggests that early-life microplastic exposure may have lasting effects on male fertility.
Reproductive toxicity of micro‐ and nanoplastics: Insights from experimental and human studies
This review examined 40 studies on how micro- and nanoplastics may affect human reproduction, finding that these particles have been detected in breast milk, placenta, ovaries, testes, and semen. Animal studies have linked plastic particle exposure to reduced sperm quality, disrupted egg development, smaller litter sizes, and possible effects passed to future generations. The evidence suggests that microplastic exposure may be a contributing factor worth investigating as global fertility rates continue to decline.
Polystyrene microplastics induced male reproductive toxicity in mice
Researchers exposed male mice to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and found that the particles accumulated in testicular tissue and entered reproductive cells. After 28 days of exposure, sperm quality and testosterone levels declined, and tissue examination revealed disorganized sperm-producing cells and inflammation. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may pose risks to male reproductive health in mammals.
Effects of nano and microplastics on the reproduction system: In vitro and in vivo studies review
This review summarizes both lab and animal studies on how micro and nanoplastics affect the reproductive system in males and females. Evidence shows that microplastics can reduce sperm quality, damage ovaries, disrupt hormone levels, and even cross the placenta during pregnancy. The findings raise significant concerns about how widespread microplastic exposure might contribute to fertility problems and reproductive health issues in humans.
The reproductive and transgenerational toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics: A threat to mammalian fertility in both sexes
This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics can accumulate in reproductive organs and harm fertility in both males and females. In animal studies, exposure led to damaged sperm, disrupted hormones, and abnormal ovary and uterus structure. Offspring of exposed mothers also showed metabolic problems, immune issues, and cognitive disorders, suggesting these particles may affect future generations.
Microplastic presence in dog and human testis and its potential association with sperm count and weights of testis and epididymis
Researchers found microplastics in every dog and human testis sample tested, with human testes containing nearly three times more plastic than dog testes. Polyethylene was the dominant plastic type in both species, and certain plastics like PVC and PET were associated with lower testis weight. These findings suggest that widespread microplastic contamination of the male reproductive system could be contributing to declining sperm counts.
Perinatal exposure to polystyrene microplastics induces multigenerational impairment of male reproduction via disrupted steroidogenesis and proteostasis
Scientists found that when pregnant and nursing rats were exposed to tiny plastic particles (microplastics), their male babies and grandbabies had damaged reproductive systems with lower sperm counts and reduced fertility hormones. While the grandbabies showed some ability to recover from this damage, the study suggests that microplastics in our environment could potentially harm male fertility across multiple generations. This research is concerning because humans are increasingly exposed to microplastics through food, water, and air.
The hidden threat: Unraveling the impact of microplastics on reproductive health
This review summarizes how microplastics disrupt the reproductive system in both males and females by interfering with hormone signaling, damaging the blood-testis barrier, impairing sperm production, and causing problems in the ovaries and uterus. The authors also note that microplastic exposure may affect offspring development, including their future reproductive capacity and metabolism.
Polystyrene Microplastics Affect the Reproductive Performance of Male Mice and Lipid Homeostasis in Their Offspring
Researchers found that long-term exposure to environmentally relevant doses of polystyrene microplastics over 21 weeks significantly impaired reproductive function in male mice, including decreased testicle weight and sperm quality. The study also revealed transgenerational effects, with offspring showing disrupted lipid homeostasis.
The male reproductive toxicity after nanoplastics and microplastics exposure: Sperm quality and changes of different cells in testis
A mouse study compared the reproductive toxicity of nanoplastics versus microplastics and found that both damaged the testes after 12 weeks of exposure, but microplastics caused more severe harm in some measures. The plastics disrupted sperm production, caused inflammation and oxidative stress, and damaged the cells that support sperm development. These findings suggest that plastic particle exposure could contribute to male fertility problems, with different particle sizes affecting reproductive health through different biological pathways.
"Unseen Dangers: The Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics on Human Reproductive Health - A Narrative Review"
This review examines the effects of micro- and nanoplastics on human reproductive health, covering evidence from in vitro, animal, and epidemiological studies showing that plastic particles can disrupt hormone signaling, sperm function, ovarian development, and placental integrity.
Oral exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics reduced male fertility and even caused male infertility by inducing testicular and sperm toxicities in mice
Researchers fed male mice polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes (25, 50, and 100 nm) for 56 days and found that all sizes reduced fertility and some caused complete infertility. The nanoplastics accumulated in the testes, causing oxidative stress, cell death, and inflammation that damaged sperm and reproductive tissue. This study raises concerns that human exposure to nanoplastics through food and water could contribute to declining male fertility.
Microplastics are detected in bull and dog sperm and polystyrene microparticles impair sperm fertilization
This study found microplastic particles in the sperm of bulls and dogs for the first time, confirming that reproductive fluids are not shielded from plastic contamination. When bovine sperm was exposed to polystyrene microplastics at concentrations matching what was measured in the animals themselves, motility dropped and fertilization success declined, with resulting embryos showing higher levels of oxidative stress and cell death. These findings raise serious concerns about microplastics as a contributing factor to the global decline in male fertility across mammalian species, including humans.