Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics cause reproductive toxicity in zebrafish: PPAR mediated lipid metabolism disorder

Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally realistic levels experienced delayed sperm development, abnormal egg growth, and impaired reproduction, with larger 500-nanometer particles causing the worst effects. The reproductive damage was linked to disrupted fat metabolism in the ovaries through a specific signaling pathway, and the effects resembled polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) -- raising concerns about potential impacts on human fertility.

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

Polystyrene microplastics disrupt female reproductive health and fertility via sirt1 modulation in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

This study found that polystyrene microplastics disrupted female reproductive health in zebrafish by interfering with a key protein called SIRT1 that regulates hormone production. Exposed fish showed changes in egg development, hormone levels, and ovarian tissue structure. Since the hormonal pathways affected are similar in humans, these findings raise concerns about how microplastic exposure might contribute to fertility problems in women.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics cause granulosa cells apoptosis and fibrosis in ovary through oxidative stress in rats

Researchers exposed female rats to polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations for 90 days and examined the effects on their ovaries. The study found that microplastic exposure caused cell death and tissue scarring in the ovaries through oxidative stress, suggesting that microplastics may have implications for female reproductive health.

2020 Toxicology 415 citations
Article Tier 2

Intestinal Accumulation of Polyester Microfibers Modulates HPG Axis Regulation and Oocyte Maturation in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Scientists found that tiny plastic fibers from clothing (called microfibers) can build up in fish intestines and disrupt their hormone systems, affecting how their eggs develop. While this study was done in zebrafish, it's concerning because humans also consume these plastic fibers through seafood and drinking water. This research suggests that microplastic pollution may be interfering with reproductive health in ways we're just beginning to understand.

2026 Fishes
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis with altered short chain fatty acid is associated with reproductive physiology and endocrine disorder in female zebrafish

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics disrupted gut bacteria in female zebrafish, leading to inflammation, hormone imbalances, and impaired egg development. The study provides the first evidence that microplastic-induced gut microbiome changes can drive reproductive problems through a chain reaction involving immune, metabolic, and hormonal pathways.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Reproductive and metabolic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics in adult female Wistar rats: a mechanistic study

Researchers gave female rats polystyrene microplastics orally for 45 days and found disruptions to both metabolic and reproductive hormone levels, including increased cholesterol, insulin resistance, and altered sex hormones. The microplastics also caused liver fibrosis and elevated inflammatory markers. The study suggests that chronic microplastic exposure may contribute to metabolic and endocrine disruption in mammals.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Female zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces reproductive toxicity in mother and their offspring

Researchers exposed female zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics for six weeks and found the particles disrupted sex hormone levels and oocyte development, reducing egg production in the exposed generation and carrying endocrine disruption effects into unexposed offspring through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to polystyrene microplastics impairs gonads of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and examined the effects on their reproductive organs. At higher concentrations, the microplastics caused elevated oxidative stress in the liver and gonads, and triggered cell death pathways in male testes along with thinning of testicular tissue. The study suggests that microplastic exposure can damage fish reproductive organs through oxidative stress and programmed cell death mechanisms.

2020 Chemosphere 230 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to microplastics leads to a defective ovarian function and change in cytoskeleton protein expression in rat

Researchers exposed female rats to polystyrene microplastics over multiple reproductive cycles and found, for the first time, that the particles accumulated in different parts of the ovarian tissue. The microplastics reduced ovarian weight, disrupted the normal development of egg follicles, altered the reproductive cycle, and lowered estrogen levels. The study suggests these effects are driven by oxidative stress and changes in key structural proteins within the ovary.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 99 citations
Review Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs): A Review on metabolic disruptions and potential obesogenic implications using -omics approaches based evidences on zebrafish model

This review summarizes growing evidence that polystyrene microplastics can disrupt fat and energy metabolism in zebrafish, potentially contributing to obesity-like effects. The microplastics altered lipid processing, energy balance, and gut bacteria composition through multiple biological pathways. These findings are relevant to human health because they suggest microplastics could be an overlooked factor in the global rise of obesity and metabolic disorders.

2025 Environmental Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Disrupt Hepatic Vitellogenin Metabolism and Impair the Reproduction Process in Female Zebrafish

Researchers exposed female zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the particles disrupted the production of vitellogenin, a key protein involved in egg development. Higher concentrations led to reduced reproductive output and changes in liver function. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in waterways could interfere with fish reproduction by disrupting the hormonal and metabolic pathways essential for egg formation.

2024 Annals of Animal Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics enhance the microcystin-LR-induced gonadal damage and reproductive endocrine disruption in zebrafish

Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene microplastics along with microcystin-LR (a common toxin from algae blooms) suffered worse reproductive damage than when exposed to either pollutant alone. The microplastics acted as carriers that increased the amount of toxin accumulating in the fish's reproductive organs. This study demonstrates that microplastics can worsen the effects of other water pollutants by helping toxic chemicals build up in the body.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-term polystyrene nanoplastic exposure alters zebrafish male and female germline and reproductive outcomes, unveiling pollutant-impacted molecular pathways

A short 96-hour exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics harmed both male and female reproductive cells in zebrafish. In males, nanoplastics crossed the testicular barrier, entered reproductive cells directly, and caused abnormal sperm with reduced movement. In females, the exposure disrupted egg development, suggesting that even brief nanoplastic contact could impair fertility in aquatic species and raising questions about similar risks for human reproductive health.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the female reproductive system in mice: Implications for ovarian function and follicular development

Researchers exposed female mice to polystyrene nanoplastics orally for 29 days and examined the effects on their reproductive systems. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted estrous cycles, impaired follicle development, and altered hormone levels in a dose-dependent manner. The study suggests that nanoplastics, due to their extremely small size, may cross biological barriers and accumulate in reproductive tissues, raising concerns about potential effects on fertility.

2025 Reproductive Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic nanoparticles cause mild inflammation, disrupt metabolic pathways, change the gut microbiota and affect reproduction in zebrafish: A full generation multi-omics study.

Exposure of zebrafish to polystyrene nanoparticles throughout their entire first generation caused mild inflammation, disrupted metabolic pathways, altered gut microbiota, and impaired reproduction — even at environmentally relevant concentrations. This comprehensive multigenerational study demonstrates that nanoplastic exposure can have lasting biological effects across multiple body systems in fish.

2022 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Adverse health effects and mechanisms of microplastics on female reproductive system: a descriptive review

This review describes how microplastics, particularly polystyrene, can reach and accumulate in the female reproductive system through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. Animal studies suggest these particles may disrupt ovarian function, hormone balance, and fertility through oxidative stress and inflammation. While human evidence is still emerging, the research raises important questions about microplastic exposure and women's reproductive health.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Parental exposure to polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations has negligible transgenerational effects on zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Zebrafish parents exposed to polystyrene microplastics (1 µm) for 21 days at concentrations >100 µg/L showed intestinal accumulation and altered gonadal steroidogenic gene expression, but no significant transgenerational effects on offspring survival, growth, or development — suggesting negligible reproductive transmission at these exposures.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of high-fat diet and polystyrene microplastic exposure on microplastic bioaccumulation and lipid metabolism in zebrafish

Researchers studied how a high-fat diet combined with polystyrene microplastic exposure affects zebrafish, finding that obese fish accumulated significantly more microplastics in their tissues. The high-fat diet disrupted lipid metabolism and created conditions that increased microplastic retention in the body. This suggests that diet and body fat levels may influence how much microplastic accumulates in living organisms, with potential implications for human health.

2023 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on the entire female mouse reproductive cycle: Assessing reproductive toxicity of microplastics through in vitro follicle culture

Female mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics suffered significant damage to their reproductive systems, including ovarian cell death, abnormal egg development, and fewer offspring. The microplastics accumulated in the ovaries and triggered cell death pathways while disrupting survival signaling in the cells that support egg development, suggesting microplastic exposure could contribute to declining fertility.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse effects polystyrene microplastics exert on zebrafish heart – Molecular to individual level

Researchers fed zebrafish microplastic-enriched food for 21 days and found significant damage to heart function, including reduced contraction strength and frequency, along with decreased swimming ability. At the cellular level, the fish showed increased oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disrupted energy metabolism in heart tissue. The study provides evidence that microplastic exposure can affect cardiovascular health in fish from the molecular level up to whole-organism fitness.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 142 citations