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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effect of nanoplastic intake on the dopamine system during the development of male mice
ClearPerinatal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics alters socioemotional behaviors via the microbiota–gut–brain axis in adult offspring mice
Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics during the perinatal period and found that the offspring developed depression-like behaviors, reduced social interactions, and diminished social dominance as adults. The nanoplastics caused structural damage to hippocampal neurons and disrupted gut microbiota composition, particularly in male offspring. The study suggests that early-life nanoplastic exposure may affect brain development and behavior through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
The Effects of Nanoplastics on the Dopamine System of Cerebrocortical Neurons
Researchers studied how nanoplastics affect the dopamine system in brain neurons grown in the lab. They found that nanoplastics accumulated inside neurons in a dose-dependent manner and altered the levels of proteins involved in dopamine signaling. These results suggest that nanoplastic exposure could potentially interfere with brain chemistry, though more research is needed to understand what this means for human health.
Neonatal Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Impairs Microglia-Mediated Synaptic Pruning and Causes Social Behavioral Defects in Adulthood
Newborn mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics showed disrupted brain development that led to social behavior problems lasting into adulthood. The nanoplastics impaired microglia -- the brain's immune cells -- preventing them from properly pruning unnecessary connections between nerve cells during a critical window of early development. This raises concerns about nanoplastic exposure from baby bottles and other infant products.
Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics impacts developmental milestones and brain structure in mouse offspring
Researchers exposed pregnant mice to polystyrene nanoplastics and studied the effects on their offspring's brain development. The study found that maternal nanoplastic exposure affected developmental milestones and brain structure in the young mice. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy may pose risks to fetal brain development, though more research is needed to understand the implications for humans.
Stage-specific effects of nanoplastic exposure on neurodevelopment and offspring behavior
Researchers investigated the effects of nanoplastic exposure during embryonic and postnatal development on neurodevelopment and behavior in mice. The study found that embryonic exposure caused anxiety-like behavior, impaired recognition memory, disrupted neural progenitor proliferation, and overactivated signaling pathways in the developing brain, while postnatal exposure produced milder but still measurable learning deficits.
Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics causes brain abnormalities in progeny
When pregnant mice were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics, their offspring showed abnormal brain development including changes in neural stem cell function, altered brain structure, and cognitive problems. The effects were gender-specific, with some deficits appearing more strongly in one sex. This study raises concerns that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy could increase the risk of neurodevelopmental problems in children.
Early-life exposure to polypropylene nanoplastics induces neurodevelopmental toxicity in mice and human iPSC-derived cerebral organoids
Researchers exposed pregnant mice to polypropylene nanoplastics through inhalation and found that their offspring showed impaired brain development, poor spatial memory, reduced motor coordination, and increased anxiety. Tests using human brain organoids (lab-grown mini-brains) confirmed that nanoplastics disrupt the growth and differentiation of neurons, raising concerns about fetal brain health from plastic pollution during pregnancy.
Micro- and nanoplastics and brain sexual differentiation: An emerging neurodevelopmental threat within the DOHaD framework
This review examines the potential for micro- and nanoplastics to disrupt sexually dimorphic brain development, given their capacity to cross the placenta and blood-brain barrier. Evidence from animal and cell studies suggests that these particles may act as endocrine and epigenetic disruptors, potentially reprogramming brain circuits that govern reproduction and socioemotional behavior through mechanisms including oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. The authors call for future research that explicitly considers sex as a biological variable when studying nanoplastic neurotoxicity.
Maternal exposure to polystyrene microplastics impairs social behavior in mouse offspring with a potential neurotoxicity
When pregnant mice were exposed to polystyrene microplastics, their offspring showed impaired social behavior even though the plastics did not reach the brain directly. The microplastics accumulated in the mothers' digestive organs and caused changes in brain cell growth and survival in isolated neurons. This study suggests that microplastic exposure during pregnancy could affect brain development and social behavior in offspring through indirect mechanisms.
Effects of nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy and lactation on neurodevelopment of rat offspring
When pregnant and nursing rats were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics, their offspring showed thinner brain cortexes, disrupted neurotransmitter levels, damaged connections between brain cells, and problems with anxiety and spatial memory. This study suggests that maternal exposure to nanoplastics during pregnancy and breastfeeding could affect brain development in offspring.
Teratological, neurochemical and histomorphic changes in the limbic areas of F1 mice progeny due to co-parental polystyrene nanoplastic exposure
Researchers exposed parent mice to polystyrene nanoplastics before and during pregnancy and found that offspring exhibited skeletal and visceral malformations, impaired neonatal reflexes, learning deficits, and structural brain changes — including reduced hippocampal neurons — demonstrating transgenerational neurodevelopmental harm from nanoplastic exposure.
Lifelong exposure to polystyrene-nanoplastics induces an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-like phenotype and impairs brain aging in mice
Mice exposed to nanoplastics throughout their entire lives -- from the womb through old age -- developed ADHD-like symptoms as adults, including hyperactivity, risk-taking behavior, and impaired learning, and showed a lower seizure threshold in old age. These behavioral changes were accompanied by altered brain proteins and accelerated brain aging at the cellular level, suggesting lifelong nanoplastic exposure may contribute to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
Intergenerational neurotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in offspring mice is mediated by dysfunctional microbe-gut-brain axis
Researchers found that mother mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics during pregnancy and nursing passed neurological harm to their offspring, with the babies showing brain inflammation, disrupted dopamine and serotonin signaling, and gut microbiome imbalances — suggesting that nanoplastic exposure before birth can damage the developing brain through the gut-brain connection.
Maternal exposure to polypropylene nanoplastics disrupts sex- and region-specific lipid metabolism in the brains of C57BL/6N mouse offspring
Pregnant mice were exposed to polypropylene nanoplastics, and offspring brains were analyzed using targeted lipidomics across different brain regions and sexes. The study found that prenatal exposure disrupted lipid metabolism in a sex- and region-specific manner, indicating that early developmental exposure to nanoplastics can have lasting effects on brain biochemistry.
Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics causes brain abnormalities in progeny
Researchers found that maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics caused brain abnormalities in offspring, demonstrating that nanoplastics can cross maternal barriers and affect neurological development in progeny with implications for developmental toxicology.
Adolescent exposure to micro/nanoplastics induces cognitive impairments in mice with neuronal morphological damage and multi-omic alterations
Adolescent mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics showed significant memory and learning problems, along with neuron loss and reduced new brain cell growth in the hippocampus. The nanoplastics also disrupted gut bacteria and brain chemistry, with strong links found between gut microbiome changes and brain metabolic disruption, suggesting that plastic exposure during youth may impair brain development through the gut-brain connection.
Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics alters fetal brain metabolism in mice
When pregnant mice drank water containing polystyrene nanoplastics at low concentrations, their unborn pups showed significant changes in brain chemistry, including a 40% drop in GABA (a key brain chemical) and a 30% drop in glucose levels. These metabolic disruptions in the fetal brain could help explain the structural brain changes previously seen in pups born to nanoplastic-exposed mothers. This study raises concerns that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy could affect fetal brain development in humans.
Micro- and nanoplastics in neurological dysfunction
This review examines growing evidence that micro- and nanoplastic particles can interfere with the nervous system across multiple species, including humans. Researchers found that plastic particles may disrupt cellular metabolism, affect brain development, and increase vulnerability to neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegeneration. The authors highlight significant knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to understand the long-term neurological impacts of plastic particle exposure.
The plastic brain part II: new insights into micro- and nanoplastics neurotoxicity
This systematic review evaluated neurotoxicity evidence from studies on micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) exposure, covering a rapidly growing body of literature. The authors found consistent evidence of neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and behavioral disruption across multiple model systems, though dose-response relationships and human relevance remain areas of uncertainty.
Evidence on Invasion of Blood, Adipose Tissues, Nervous System and Reproductive System of Mice After a Single Oral Exposure: Nanoplastics versus Microplastics.
Researchers found that after a single oral exposure in mice, nanoplastics were rapidly absorbed into the blood, accumulated in fat tissues, and crossed both the blood-brain and blood-testis barriers. The study demonstrated that the distribution and behavior of plastic particles in mammals is strongly dependent on particle size, with nanoplastics showing substantially greater tissue penetration than microplastics.
Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics impairs sperm metabolism and pre-implantation embryo development in mice
This study found that male mice given polystyrene nanoplastics by mouth showed significant harm to sperm function and early embryo development, with changes in gene expression that could affect offspring. The findings raise concerns that nanoplastic exposure could impair male fertility and potentially pass harmful effects to the next generation.
The effects of micro- and nanoplastics on the central nervous system: A new threat to humanity?
This review summarizes growing evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and damage the central nervous system through inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of brain chemicals. The authors note that microplastic exposure has been linked to memory and behavior changes in animals and may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, though direct human evidence is still limited.
Polystyrene microplastics induced disturbances in neuronal arborization and dendritic spine density in mice prefrontal cortex
Mice that consumed polystyrene microplastics for 28 days showed significant damage to brain cells in the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for decision-making and behavior. The neurons had shorter branches, fewer connections, and reduced levels of a key growth factor called BDNF. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could affect brain structure and potentially cognitive function, raising concerns about the neurological effects of chronic microplastic ingestion in humans.
Microplastics/nanoplastics and neurological health: An overview of neurological defects and mechanisms
This review summarizes evidence that micro and nanoplastics can harm the nervous system, causing developmental abnormalities, brain cell death, neurological inflammation, and potentially contributing to neurodegenerative diseases. Animal studies show that these tiny plastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in brain tissue, where they trigger oxidative stress and disrupt normal brain function. While direct evidence in humans is still limited, the findings suggest that chronic microplastic exposure could be a risk factor for neurological health problems.