Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Exposure to High-molecular-weight Polyvinyl Chloride Alters Bacterial Diversity in the Gut Microbiota of the Wistar Rat

Researchers exposed Wistar rats to high-molecular-weight polyvinyl chloride microplastics through their diet and measured changes in gut microbiota diversity and composition. PVC microplastic ingestion significantly altered bacterial diversity in the gut microbiome, supporting the hypothesis that microplastic exposure can disrupt intestinal microbial ecology with potential consequences for host health.

2024 Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska
Article Tier 2

The Histopathological and Genetic Effects of Long-Term Treatment with High-Molecular-Weight Polyvinyl Chloride on Various Organs of Young Wistar Rats

Researchers fed young Wistar rats food containing 1% or 2% polyvinyl chloride for eight weeks, finding histopathological damage to the intestines, liver, kidney, and spleen, along with genetic effects including DNA fragmentation, demonstrating organ-level toxicity of chronic PVC microplastic ingestion.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Intestinal permeability and gene expression after polyethylene and polyamide microplastic ingestion in Wistar rats

Researchers found that Wistar rats fed polyethylene and polyamide microplastics for five weeks showed changes in intestinal gene expression related to mucin production and immune response, though intestinal permeability was not significantly altered.

2022 Toxicology Letters 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl chloride microplastics induced gut barrier dysfunction, microbiota dysbiosis and metabolism disorder in adult mice

Researchers exposed adult mice to PVC microplastics for 60 days and observed significant damage to the intestinal barrier, including reduced mucus production and increased gut permeability. The exposure also caused notable shifts in gut bacteria composition and altered metabolic profiles in ways associated with intestinal injury. These findings suggest that chronic microplastic ingestion may disrupt gut health by weakening the intestinal lining and changing the microbiome.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 117 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastic on the Gastrointestinal Tract and Gut microbiome of Sprague Dawley Rats

Adult male rats were fed polyethylene microplastics mixed with standard food for 24 days to assess effects on gastrointestinal tissue histology and gut microbiome composition. Microplastic exposure caused histological changes in the gastrointestinal tract lining and altered gut microbial diversity, providing direct evidence that oral microplastic ingestion disrupts gut health in mammals.

2024 Maǧallaẗ ǧāmiʿaẗ al-Sulṭān Qābūs li-l-ʿulūm/Sultan Qaboos University journal for science
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene terephthalate microplastics affect gut microbiota distribution and intestinal damage in mice

Mice exposed to PET microplastics, the type commonly found in plastic bottles, developed intestinal inflammation, changes in gut bacteria, and signs of a weakened gut barrier. Even at relatively low doses, the microplastics increased liver stress markers and disrupted the protective mucus layer in the colon, suggesting that everyday PET plastic exposure could contribute to digestive health problems.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Microplastics on Morphological Manifestations of Experimental Acute Colitis

Researchers fed polystyrene microplastics to mice for six weeks and found that healthy mice developed changes in their colon lining, including altered mucus composition and immune cell populations. When mice with experimentally induced colitis also consumed microplastics, their intestinal inflammation was significantly more severe. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may worsen inflammatory bowel conditions.

2023 Toxics 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Exacerbation of polyethylene microplastics in animal models of DSS-induced colitis through damage to intestinal epithelial cell conjunctions

Researchers tested the effects of UV-aged polyethylene microplastics on mice with chemically induced colitis, a model for inflammatory bowel disease. They found that the microplastics worsened intestinal inflammation by damaging the junctions between intestinal lining cells, weakening the gut barrier. The study suggests that microplastic exposure could aggravate existing gut conditions by compromising the protective intestinal wall.

2025 Current Research in Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Developments in the field of intestinal toxicity and signaling pathways associated with rodent exposure to micro(nano)plastics.

This review synthesizes current research on how micro- and nano-plastics damage the intestinal epithelium, disrupt gut barrier function, and activate inflammatory signaling pathways. The findings highlight the gut as a primary site of microplastic accumulation and suggest that intestinal toxicity may link dietary microplastic exposure to systemic health effects.

2024 Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Microplastic Particles on Gut Microbiota Composition and Health Status in Rabbit Livestock

Researchers fed female rabbits PVC microplastics at low and high doses and observed intestinal mucosa damage, microplastic particles embedded in the spleen, and elevated inflammatory markers. The exposed rabbits also showed increased estrogen levels suggesting early sexual maturation, along with disrupted gut microbiota composition. The study represents the first broad investigation of PVC microplastic effects in rabbits, highlighting potential health risks from contaminated animal feed.

2024 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics affect the distribution of gut microbiota and inflammation development in mice

Researchers fed mice different concentrations of polyethylene microplastics for five weeks and found significant changes in gut bacteria composition and signs of intestinal inflammation. Higher doses increased bacterial diversity and altered the balance of specific bacterial species, while triggering immune responses and inflammation in the colon and duodenum. The study provides evidence that microplastic ingestion can disrupt the gut microbiome and promote intestinal inflammation in mammals.

2019 Chemosphere 626 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics induced ileum damage: Morphological and immunohistochemical study

Researchers fed mice different concentrations of polyethylene microplastics for 15 days and found significant damage to the small intestine (ileum), including shortened villi, increased mucus-producing cells, and elevated markers of cell death. The damage was dose-dependent, with the highest concentration causing the most severe effects, and some damage persisted even after a 15-day recovery period. This study provides detailed evidence that microplastic ingestion can physically damage the gut lining in mammals.

2024 Microscopy Research and Technique 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastic Intake on Intestinal and Pancreatic Cell Damage

Researchers investigated the effects of oral microplastic administration on the intestinal and pancreatic cells of Rattus norvegicus Wistar rats to assess organ-level damage from ingestion via contaminated food and drink. Using a quantitative experimental design, they found that oral microplastic intake impairs the function of the small intestine, large intestine, and pancreas, providing experimental evidence for cellular damage in key digestive and endocrine organs following microplastic ingestion.

2022 Jurnal Widya Medika
Article Tier 2

Influence of Microplastics on Manifestations of Experimental Chronic Colitis

Researchers studied whether consuming microplastics worsens chronic colon inflammation in mice. While microplastics alone did not cause visible damage to healthy intestines, they significantly increased the severity of colitis symptoms, including more ulcers and greater inflammatory cell infiltration, in mice with pre-existing colon inflammation. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure may be particularly concerning for individuals who already have inflammatory bowel conditions.

2025 Toxics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics alters gut morphology, immune response, and microbiota composition in mice

Researchers fed mice polyethylene microplastics of two sizes commonly found in human stool for six weeks and examined the effects on gut health. The study found that microplastic exposure altered gut structure, disrupted immune cell function, changed gene expression related to inflammation and gut barrier integrity, and shifted the composition of gut bacteria. Mice exposed to both sizes simultaneously showed the most severe effects, suggesting that real-world exposure to mixed microplastic sizes may compound the damage.

2022 Environmental Research 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Intestinal flora variation reflects the short-term damage of microplastic to the intestinal tract in mice

Researchers used gut microbiome analysis to track short-term intestinal damage from compositional microplastics (PE, PET, PP, PS, and PVC) in mice over 7 days of exposure. While standard physiological indicators showed no significant changes, histopathological examination and gut flora analysis revealed intestinal tissue damage and microbial community shifts, suggesting that gut microbiota may serve as a sensitive early indicator of microplastic toxicity.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics in food system: potential health impacts on human intestinal system.

This review assessed how micro(nano)plastics in the human food system reach the intestine and accumulate in the gut, summarizing evidence that they can alter intestinal barrier function, trigger inflammation, and disrupt the gut microbiome, with implications for long-term digestive health.

2024 Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
Review Tier 2

Microplastic effects on mouse colon in normal and colitis conditions: A literature review

This literature review examined studies on how microplastic exposure affects the mouse colon under both normal and inflammatory conditions. Evidence indicates that microplastics may contribute to intestinal inflammation and could worsen existing colitis. The review highlights the need for further research to better understand how microplastic ingestion may influence gut health in humans.

2025 PeerJ 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Consequential fate of bisphenol-attached PVC microplastics in water and simulated intestinal fluids

Researchers tested how bisphenol-attached PVC microplastics release bisphenols in aquatic and simulated intestinal fluid environments, finding that desorption was faster under gut-like conditions and that released bisphenols were cytotoxic to human intestinal cell lines.

2020 Environmental Science and Ecotechnology 78 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Impacts of microplastics on gut health: Current status and future directions

This systematic review found consistent evidence across mouse, fish, and earthworm models that microplastics disrupt gut microbiota composition, impair intestinal barrier integrity, and trigger gastrointestinal inflammation. The correlation between microplastic exposure and gut health deterioration was statistically significant across all animal models examined.

2025 Indian Journal of Gastroenterology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic: A potential threat to human and animal health by interfering with the intestinal barrier function and changing the intestinal microenvironment

This review summarizes current research on how microplastics disrupt the gut environment in both animals and humans, focusing on damage to the intestinal barrier. Studies show that microplastic exposure can cause oxidative damage, inflammation, destruction of the gut lining, thinning of the protective mucus layer, and disruption of beneficial gut bacteria. While direct human evidence is still limited, the growing body of animal research suggests that microplastics could pose a meaningful threat to intestinal health.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 225 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of digestive tract protein on cytotoxicity of polyvinyl chloride microplastics

This study examined how human digestive enzymes change the properties of PVC microplastics as they pass through a simulated digestive tract. After digestion, the microplastics became more water-friendly and mobile in the body, and they caused greater damage to intestinal cells, including reduced cell survival, increased oxidative stress, and disrupted energy metabolism. These findings suggest that the digestion process itself may make microplastics more harmful to the human gut than previously assumed.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of micro- and nanoplastics on gastrointestinal diseases: Recent advances

This review summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics can harm the digestive system by causing oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, and disruption of gut bacteria. These connected pathways can damage the intestinal lining and may contribute to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how everyday plastic exposure through food and water could affect gut health over time.

2025 European Journal of Internal Medicine 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of polystyrene microplastic on the gut barrier, microbiota and metabolism of mice

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics for six weeks and found that the particles accumulated in the gut, reduced protective mucus secretion, and damaged the intestinal barrier. The microplastics also significantly altered the composition of gut bacteria, decreasing beneficial species and increasing harmful ones. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion could disrupt gut health in mammals by simultaneously impairing the physical barrier and reshaping the microbiome.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 986 citations