Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in a colitis mouse model – effects on biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome

Researchers exposed colitis mouse models to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics to test whether MNP exposure worsens inflammatory bowel disease, finding that MNPs altered biodistribution and exacerbated inflammatory responses in animals with pre-existing gut inflammation.

2025
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics aggravates colitis in a mouse model – effects on biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome

Researchers found that polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics aggravated colitis symptoms in a mouse model, increasing gut permeability, inflammatory cytokine levels, and tissue damage compared to controls. The study provides mechanistic evidence linking microplastic exposure to worsening of inflammatory bowel conditions.

2024 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in a colitis mouse model – effects on biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome

Researchers induced colitis in mice using dextran sodium sulfate and orally administered polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics of three sizes, then tracked biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome changes. In colitis conditions, microplastic uptake into systemic tissues was enhanced, macrophages shifted toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype, and gut microbial diversity decreased, suggesting that inflammatory bowel disease increases vulnerability to microplastic-driven systemic harm.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics of different particle sizes regulate the polarization of pro-inflammatory macrophages

Researchers exposed immune cells called macrophages to polystyrene nanoplastics of two different sizes (50 nm and 500 nm) and found that both sizes pushed the cells toward a pro-inflammatory state at higher concentrations. This means the immune cells shifted toward producing inflammation signals rather than healing signals after nanoplastic exposure. Since macrophages are a key defense in the gut, this inflammatory response could help explain how microplastics contribute to intestinal inflammation.

2024 Scientific Reports 35 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of gut microbiota in mediating increased toxicity of nano-sized polystyrene compared to micro-sized polystyrene in mice

This mouse study found that nano-sized polystyrene plastics were significantly more toxic than micro-sized ones, causing greater gut inflammation, liver damage, and metabolic disruption. The key difference was driven by how each size affected gut bacteria: nanoplastics caused a more severe shift toward harmful bacteria and away from beneficial ones. The findings suggest that the smallest plastic particles may pose the greatest health risk because they more dramatically disrupt the gut microbiome.

2024 Chemosphere 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingested nano- and microsized polystyrene particles surpass the intestinal barrier and accumulate in the body

Researchers fed mice nano- and microsized polystyrene particles for up to 24 weeks to study intestinal barrier crossing and accumulation. The study found that plastic particles accumulated in the small intestine and distant organs, though they did not promote intestinal inflammation or worsen colitis, while noting that long-term accumulative effects on gastrointestinal health cannot be ruled out.

2021 NanoImpact 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics readily penetrate intestine and cause sex-specific effects mediated by bile acids and microbiome

Researchers found that approximately 60% of ingested polystyrene nanoparticles cross the intestine wall within three hours in mice, with most then captured by the liver and discharged via the biliary system. The study revealed significant sex differences, with male mice being more sensitive than females, and showed that nanoparticle exposure disrupts bile acid metabolism and increases susceptibility to colitis by altering gut bacteria.

2026 Cell Reports
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

DistinctEffects between Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastics:Exacerbation of Adverse Outcomes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease-likeZebrafish and Mice

Researchers compared the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on a biological system, finding that nanoplastics caused more severe adverse effects than microplastics at equivalent mass doses, likely due to greater surface area and cellular penetration capacity.

2025 Figshare
Systematic Review Tier 1

Interactions between polystyrene-derived micro- and nanoplastics and the microbiota: a systematic review of multi-omics mouse studies

Researchers systematically reviewed 15 mouse studies and found that exposure to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics consistently disrupted gut bacteria — reducing beneficial species like Lactobacillus and increasing harmful ones — while also altering metabolic pathways throughout the body. Nanoplastics caused more severe microbiome disruption than larger microplastics, highlighting a serious health concern for humans.

2026 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the intestinal microenvironment by altering bacteria-host interactions through extracellular vesicle-delivered microRNAs

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the gut lining in mice by altering tiny RNA molecules that control the production of protective proteins in the intestinal barrier. The nanoplastics also caused an imbalance in gut bacteria, creating a chain reaction where damaged gut cells release particles that further weaken the intestinal barrier and change the microbiome.

2025 Nature Communications 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microparticle distribution after ingestion by murine macrophages

Researchers tracked what happens to polystyrene microparticles after they are ingested by mouse immune cells called macrophages. They found that the particles were distributed unevenly during cell division in a cell-type-specific manner, and no active excretion of the microplastics was observed. The study suggests that once immune cells take up microplastic particles, the particles may persist inside cells and accumulate over successive generations of cell division.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of partial reduction of polystyrene micro-nanoplastics on the immunity, gut microbiota and metabolome of mice

This mouse study examined whether partial gut degradation of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affects immune markers, gut microbiota, and metabolome, finding that nanoplastic exposure produced distinct immune and microbial changes compared to microplastic exposure. Notably, different exposure doses shifted the key bacterial species stabilizing gut microbial networks.

2023 Chemosphere 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of micro- and nanoplastic perturbs tissue homeostasis and macrophage core functions

Researchers fed mice polystyrene particles chronically and found that micro- and nanoplastics breached intestinal barriers and accumulated in multiple organs, disrupting tissue homeostasis and impairing core macrophage functions including phagocytosis and inflammatory regulation.

2025 bonndoc (University of Bonn)
Article Tier 2

In vivo impact assessment of orally administered polystyrene nanoplastics: biodistribution, toxicity, and inflammatory response in mice

Researchers orally administered polystyrene nanoplastics to mice for two weeks and tracked their distribution and biological effects. The nanoplastics accumulated primarily in the intestine, kidneys, and liver, triggering significant inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in these organs despite no visible tissue damage. The study provides evidence that even short-term oral exposure to nanoplastics can cause meaningful inflammatory changes in multiple organ systems.

2021 Nanotoxicology 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics cross the murine intestine and induce inflammatory cell death after phagocytosis by human monocytes and neutrophils

Researchers administered polystyrene microplastics orally to mice and then assessed distribution and immune cell interactions in both mice and human cells. Both 1 µm and 10 µm particles crossed the intestinal epithelium and were detected in blood and liver after 10 days, and human monocytes and neutrophils that ingested the particles underwent inflammatory cell death.

2025
Article Tier 2

Multiomics analysis revealed the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics at different environmentally relevant concentrations on intestinal homeostasis

Researchers fed mice polystyrene nanoplastics at three different doses for 42 days and used multiple analysis methods to study the effects on gut health. Even the lowest dose increased gut permeability (leaky gut), triggered inflammation, and disrupted the balance of gut bacteria and their metabolites. These findings suggest that environmentally realistic levels of nanoplastic exposure could harm intestinal health and potentially contribute to chronic gut problems.

2025 Environmental Pollution 5 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

Differently surface-labeled polystyrene nanoplastics at an environmentally relevant concentration induced Crohn’s ileitis-like features via triggering intestinal epithelial cell necroptosis

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally realistic levels triggered Crohn's disease-like inflammation in the small intestine of mice. Different surface coatings on the nanoplastics affected which immune pathways were activated, but all types caused gut damage. This study suggests that nanoplastic exposure through food and water could contribute to inflammatory bowel disease in humans.

2023 Environment International 77 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
Article Tier 2

Long-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics reduces macrophages and affects the microbiota–gut–brain axis in mice

Mice that consumed polystyrene microplastics over an extended period showed reduced immune cells called macrophages in their colons and changes in gut bacteria that were linked to altered brain chemistry. This study provides evidence for a gut-brain connection where microplastics may affect brain function indirectly by first disrupting gut health and the immune system.

2024 Toxicology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Nanoplastics in Decreasing the Intestinal Microbiome Ratio: A Review of the Scope of Polystyrene

This scoping review of 56 studies found consistent evidence that polystyrene nanoplastics (≤100 nm) disrupt gut homeostasis through a three-stage cascade: ROS generation and oxidative stress, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and gut microbiome dysbiosis, with downstream effects on immunity and multiple organs.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics cross the murine intestine and induce inflammatory cell death after phagocytosis by human monocytes and neutrophils

Researchers orally administered 1 μm and 10 μm polystyrene particles to mice for 10 days and found that both sizes crossed the intestinal epithelium and were detected in blood and liver; when phagocytosed by human monocytes and neutrophils, the particles triggered complement-dependent inflammatory cell death.

2025 iScience
Article Tier 2

Inflammatory response in the mid colon of ICR mice treated with polystyrene microplastics for two weeks

Researchers found that two weeks of oral polystyrene microplastic exposure in ICR mice induced an inflammatory response specifically in the mid colon, suggesting microplastics may contribute to colonic inflammation.

2021 Laboratory Animal Research 42 citations