Papers

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Article Tier 2

Reproductive Toxicity of Chronic Exposure To Polystyrene Microplastics And The Molecular Mechanism of Decrease In Testosterone Levels In Male Mice

Chronic exposure to polystyrene microplastics lowered testosterone levels in male mice and disrupted reproductive organ function. The study identified molecular pathways through which microplastics interfere with male hormone production, with implications for reproductive health in humans exposed through diet.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Food and Chemical Toxicology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic exposure to polystyrene microplastics induced male reproductive toxicity and decreased testosterone levels via the LH-mediated LHR/cAMP/PKA/StAR pathway

Mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics in their drinking water for 180 days showed significant reproductive damage, including reduced testosterone, lower sperm quality, and changes in testicular structure. The researchers identified a specific hormonal pathway through which microplastics suppress testosterone production in the cells that make it. This long-term, low-dose study is particularly relevant because the exposure levels are closer to what humans might experience in everyday life.

2022 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 251 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce male reproductive toxicity in mice by activating spermatogonium mitochondrial oxidative stress and apoptosis

A mouse study found that polystyrene microplastics significantly reduced sperm count and motility while increasing sperm deformities. The damage was caused by oxidative stress in the energy-producing mitochondria of sperm-forming cells, which triggered cell death -- raising concerns about microplastics' potential impact on male fertility.

2024 Chemico-Biological Interactions 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics disrupt adrenal steroid synthesis in male mice via mitochondrial dysfunction

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics disrupted steroid hormone production in the adrenal glands of male mice by causing mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Chronic exposure led to reduced corticosterone levels and increased cell death in adrenal tissue. The study suggests that microplastics may interfere with the body's stress response and hormonal balance through damage to the energy-producing structures within cells.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to nanoplastics induces mitochondrial impairment and cytomembrane destruction in Leydig cells

Researchers exposed mouse Leydig cells (which produce testosterone) to 20-nanometer polystyrene nanoplastics in the lab and found that the particles entered the cells and caused dose-dependent damage. The nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress, destroyed mitochondria, disrupted cell membranes, and reduced testosterone production. This study adds to growing evidence that nanoplastics could harm male reproductive health by directly damaging the cells responsible for making testosterone.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Male reproductive toxicity of polystyrene microplastics: Study on the endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling pathway

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics for 35 days and found significant male reproductive toxicity, including decreased sperm counts and motility, increased sperm abnormalities, and reduced testosterone levels. The microplastics caused structural damage to the seminiferous tubules and triggered endoplasmic reticulum stress in testicular tissue. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may impair male reproductive health through stress-related signaling pathways in the testes.

2022 Food and Chemical Toxicology 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics impair the functions of cultured mouse Leydig (TM3) and Sertoli (TM4) cells by inducing mitochondrial-endoplasmic reticulum damage

Lab experiments showed that polystyrene microplastics damaged two key types of testicular cells in mice -- Leydig cells that produce testosterone and Sertoli cells that support sperm development -- by harming their mitochondria (the cell's energy centers) and stressing the endoplasmic reticulum. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could contribute to male reproductive problems by disrupting hormone production and sperm development at the cellular level.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics trigger testosterone decline via GPX1

Mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics experienced a drop in testosterone levels through a specific molecular pathway: the microplastics suppressed an antioxidant enzyme called GPX1, which triggered a cascade of oxidative stress and cellular stress in testosterone-producing cells. The particles also disrupted the hormonal communication between the brain and testes. This study identifies a detailed mechanism by which microplastics could impair male reproductive health.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic exposure to polystyrene microplastics induced LHR reduction and decreased testosterone levels through NF-κB pathway

Mice given drinking water containing polystyrene microplastics for 180 days showed significant drops in testosterone levels through a newly identified mechanism. The microplastics triggered immune cells in the testes to release inflammatory signals that suppressed a key hormone receptor (LHR), disrupting the entire hormonal pathway needed for testosterone production. This finding adds to growing evidence that microplastic exposure may impair male reproductive health.

2024 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 116 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic exposure in mice: oxidative stress-induced testicular damage, AR gene suppression, and histopathological alterations

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics at two different concentrations and observed significant impacts on reproductive health, including increased oxidative stress in testicular tissue. The study found elevated reactive oxygen species, reduced sperm count and motility, and suppression of androgen receptor gene expression. Evidence indicates that microplastic exposure may pose reproductive health risks by disrupting antioxidant defenses and damaging testicular cells.

2024 Journal of Experimental and Laboratory Medicine. 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastic exposure at low doses on male fertility: an experimental study in rats

Researchers exposed adult male rats to varying doses of polystyrene microplastics and found dose-dependent declines in semen quality along with disrupted reproductive hormone levels. Higher doses caused increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and inflammatory responses in testicular tissue. The study suggests that even relatively low doses of microplastic exposure may have adverse effects on male reproductive health in animal models.

2026 Scientific Reports
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 607 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of Biological and Molecular Attributes Related to Polystyrene Microplastic-Induced Reproductive Toxicity and Its Reversibility in Male Mice

Researchers exposed male mice to polystyrene microplastics through drinking water and found that the particles caused mitochondrial damage in testicular tissue, including reduced membrane potential and disrupted energy production. This mitochondrial dysfunction led to decreased sperm quality, likely driven by oxidative stress. Importantly, the study found that sperm quality recovered after one to two spermatogenic cycles without further exposure, suggesting that reproductive toxicity from microplastics may be reversible.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on reproductive parameters of male rats

Researchers studied the chronic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on the reproductive system of male rats over 90 days. The study found significant reductions in sperm volume, motility, epididymal count, and serum testosterone levels, along with disrupted testicular architecture and decreased antioxidant capacity. The findings suggest that chronic microplastic exposure may adversely affect male reproductive parameters in mammals.

2022 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Microplastics Disrupt Spermatogenesis through Oxidative Stress in Rat Testicular Tissue

Male Wistar rats orally administered polystyrene microplastics showed excessive oxidative stress in testicular tissue across all exposure groups, with spermatogenesis impairment and reduced fertility correlating with dose, demonstrating reproductive toxicity in a mammalian model.

2025 Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics aggravate reproductive system damage in obese male mice by perturbation of the testis redox homeostasis

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics worsened reproductive damage in male mice already fed a high-fat diet, reducing sperm quality and testosterone production beyond what obesity alone caused. The nanoplastics disrupted the protective blood-testis barrier and increased oxidative stress in reproductive tissues. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure combined with obesity may create compounding risks to male fertility.

2023 Environmental Toxicology 20 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 437 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microparticles exposures on spermatogenic cell differentiation and reproductive endpoints in male mice

Researchers found that very small polystyrene microplastics (0.1 micrometers) accumulated in mouse testicular tissue and sperm-producing cells, leading to reduced sperm quality and impaired reproductive function. The particles triggered oxidative stress and disrupted the normal process of sperm cell development. This study adds to growing evidence that microplastic exposure could contribute to male fertility problems in humans, particularly from the smallest particles that can penetrate reproductive tissues.

2025 Environmental Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Testicular mitochondrial redox imbalance and impaired oxidative phosphorylation underlie microplastic-induced testicular dysfunction in Wistar rats

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect male reproductive function in rats by examining testicular mitochondrial health. The study found that microplastic exposure disrupted mitochondrial redox balance and impaired oxidative phosphorylation in testicular tissue, providing mechanistic evidence for how microplastics may contribute to male reproductive toxicity.

2026 Frontiers in Toxicology
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Dose-Dependent Effect of Polystyrene Microplastics on the Testicular Tissues of the Male Sprague Dawley Rats

Male rats exposed to increasing doses of polystyrene microplastics showed dose-dependent testicular damage including disrupted spermatogenesis and altered hormone levels, suggesting potential reproductive toxicity from microplastic accumulation.

2021 Dose-Response 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce mitochondrial damage in mouse GC-2 cells

Researchers exposed mouse reproductive cells to polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles caused significant mitochondrial damage, reducing energy production and disrupting normal cellular function. The study observed decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, lower ATP levels, and increased oxidative stress in the exposed cells. These findings help explain how microplastic exposure may impair sperm development by damaging the energy-producing structures within reproductive cells.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 114 citations