Papers

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Article Tier 2

Chronic exposure to polystyrene microplastics induces renal fibrosis via ferroptosis

Mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics in their drinking water for six months developed kidney scarring (fibrosis) driven by a type of cell death called ferroptosis. The microplastics triggered iron-dependent damage in kidney cells, which then released signals causing surrounding tissue to scar over. This long-term study reveals a new mechanism by which chronic microplastic exposure could lead to progressive kidney disease in humans.

2024 Toxicology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Activation of pyroptosis and ferroptosis is involved in the hepatotoxicity induced by polystyrene microplastics in mice

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles caused significant liver damage, including structural changes and impaired function. The study identified two specific cell death pathways, pyroptosis and ferroptosis, as key mechanisms driving the liver injury. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure may harm liver health through multiple biological pathways that warrant further investigation.

2021 Chemosphere 205 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exacerbate mitophagy through mitochondrial dysfunction in the duck lung

Ducks fed polystyrene microplastics developed lung inflammation and damage through a process where the plastics disrupted the energy-producing mitochondria in lung cells, triggering excessive cell self-destruction. The study confirmed these findings in both live ducks and lab-grown lung cells, showing that the microplastics activated inflammatory pathways and disrupted normal energy metabolism. Since ducks are widely consumed as food, the research highlights how microplastics can damage poultry lung health and provides insights into how inhaled or ingested microplastics might similarly harm human lungs.

2025 Journal of Nanobiotechnology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Acute exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles promotes liver injury by inducing mitochondrial ROS-dependent necroptosis and augmenting macrophage-hepatocyte crosstalk

Researchers discovered that very small polystyrene nanoparticles (20 nanometers) cause liver damage in mice by accumulating inside immune cells called macrophages, disrupting their energy-producing structures (mitochondria), and triggering a form of cell death that then spreads damage to liver cells. This study reveals a specific mechanism by which nanoplastic exposure could harm the liver, an organ critical for filtering toxins from the body.

2024 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Ferritinophagy Mediated by Oxidative Stress-Driven Mitochondrial Damage Is Involved in the Polystyrene Nanoparticles-Induced Ferroptosis of Lung Injury

Researchers found that inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics cause lung damage through a specific cell death process called ferroptosis, which involves iron buildup and oxidative stress in lung cells. The nanoplastics damaged mitochondria and triggered a chain reaction where the cell's iron storage was broken down, releasing harmful iron. Blocking this ferroptosis process with a drug called ferrostatin-1 reversed the lung damage in mice, pointing to a potential treatment approach.

2023 ACS Nano 92 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyester microplastic fibers induce mitochondrial damage, apoptosis and oxidative stress in Daphnia carinata, accompanied by changes in apoptotic and ferroptosis pathway

Polyester microplastic fibers, one of the most common types of microplastics found in the environment, caused significant harm to freshwater water fleas including reduced survival, mitochondrial damage, and cell death. The fibers triggered oxidative stress and activated pathways related to both programmed cell death and a type of iron-dependent cell death called ferroptosis. Since water fleas are a key food source for fish, this damage could ripple up the food chain and affect the safety of freshwater ecosystems.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Internalized polystyrene nanoplastics trigger testicular damage and promote ferroptosis via CISD1 downregulation in mouse spermatocyte

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics cause testicular damage in mice through a cell death process called ferroptosis. The nanoplastics triggered the breakdown of iron-storage proteins and reduced levels of a protective mitochondrial protein called CISD1 in sperm cells. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure may contribute to male reproductive harm by driving excess iron into mitochondria.

2025 Journal of Nanobiotechnology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt iron homeostasis by promoting FPN1 ubiquitination in GC-2spd(ts) cells

Researchers showed that polystyrene nanoplastics induce ferroptosis — an iron-dependent form of cell death — in mouse sperm precursor cells by promoting the ubiquitin-tagged degradation of the iron-export protein ferroportin1, causing iron to accumulate inside cells, driving lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial damage.

2026 Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics induced inflammation in the spleen of developmental Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) via ROS-mediated p38 MAPK and TNF signaling pathway activation1

Young Japanese quail fed polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant doses developed significant inflammation in their spleens, a key immune organ. The microplastics triggered oxidative stress that activated inflammatory signaling pathways, leading to tissue damage and immune dysfunction. This study adds to evidence that microplastic exposure can harm the immune system in birds, with potential implications for wildlife health and, through the food chain, for humans who consume poultry.

2023 Environmental Pollution 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Ferroptosis: First evidence in premature duck ovary induced by polyvinyl chloride microplastics

Researchers discovered that polyvinyl chloride microplastics caused premature ovarian damage in ducks through a cell death process called ferroptosis, which involves iron-dependent oxidative damage. Higher microplastic concentrations led to iron accumulation, increased oxidative stress, and structural damage to ovarian tissue. This is the first evidence linking microplastic exposure to ferroptosis in the avian reproductive system.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics-induced cardiotoxicity in chickens via the ROS-driven NF-κB-NLRP3-GSDMD and AMPK-PGC-1α axes

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics caused serious heart damage in chickens by triggering oxidative stress, inflammation, and disruption of the cells' energy production systems. The microplastics activated inflammatory pathways that led to a type of cell death called pyroptosis and damaged the mitochondria that power heart cells. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could pose risks to cardiovascular health in animals, with potential implications for understanding heart-related effects in humans.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 268 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exposure aggravates acute liver injury by promoting Kupffer cell pyroptosis

Researchers found that long-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics worsened acute liver injury in mice by triggering a specific type of inflammatory cell death called pyroptosis in liver immune cells. When they blocked this cell death pathway either genetically or with a drug, the damaging effects of the microplastics were significantly reduced. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may make the liver more vulnerable to injury by amplifying inflammatory responses.

2023 International Immunopharmacology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induced oxidative stress, inflammation and necroptosis via NF-κB and RIP1/RIP3/MLKL pathway in chicken kidney

Researchers exposed chickens to different doses of polystyrene microplastics for six weeks to study kidney damage. The study found that microplastic exposure triggered oxidative stress, inflammation, and a form of cell death called necroptosis in kidney tissue through the NF-kappaB and RIP1/RIP3/MLKL signaling pathways.

2022 Toxicology 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics mediate inflammatory responses in the chicken thymus by Nrf2/NF-κB pathway and trigger autophagy and apoptosis

Researchers exposed chickens to polystyrene microplastics and found significant damage to the thymus, a key immune organ. The microplastics triggered oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death through specific molecular pathways. The study suggests that microplastic exposure could compromise immune function in animals by damaging organs responsible for immune cell development.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics up-regulates liver glutamine and glutamate synthesis and promotes autophagy-dependent ferroptosis and apoptosis in the cerebellum through the liver-brain axis

Researchers exposed chickens to polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles caused liver metabolic disorders, increasing glutamine and glutamate synthesis. These abnormal liver metabolites then traveled to the brain through the liver-brain axis, promoting autophagy-dependent cell death in the cerebellum. The study reveals a concerning pathway by which microplastic-induced liver damage could lead to neurological harm.

2022 Environmental Pollution 177 citations
Article Tier 2

ROS and DRP1 interactions accelerate the mitochondrial injury induced by polystyrene nanoplastics in human liver HepG2 cells

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics damage human liver cells by triggering harmful interactions between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a protein called DRP1 that controls mitochondria. The nanoplastics caused mitochondria to break apart, leading to cell injury and death. This research helps explain how microplastic exposure could contribute to liver damage in humans at the cellular level.

2023 Chemico-Biological Interactions 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics exacerbate ferroptosis via mitochondrial reactive oxygen species-mediated autophagy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Researchers found that microplastics worsen chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by triggering a chain reaction in lung cells: the plastics damage mitochondria (the cell's energy centers), which produces harmful molecules that activate a self-destructive process called autophagy-dependent ferroptosis. Lung tissue from COPD patients contained significantly higher concentrations of polystyrene microplastics than healthy controls. When scientists blocked this destructive pathway in mice, it reduced the excessive inflammation and prevented COPD flare-ups caused by microplastic exposure.

2025 Autophagy 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Ferroptosis participated in inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics-induced liver injury and fibrosis

Mice that inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics for up to 12 weeks developed liver injury and scarring (fibrosis), with damage worsening over time and at higher doses. The nanoplastics triggered a specific type of cell death called ferroptosis, which involves iron-dependent damage to cell membranes in the liver. This is one of the first studies to show that breathing in nanoplastics can cause serious liver damage, raising concerns about long-term health effects from airborne plastic pollution.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Polystyrene Microplastics on Mitochondrial Oxidative Damage in Renal and Muscular Tissues of the Freshwater Fish

Researchers exposed freshwater fish to environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics for up to 15 days and examined mitochondrial damage in kidney and muscle tissues. The exposure disrupted antioxidant defenses, increased oxidative stress, and altered metabolic enzyme activities in both tissue types. Histological examination revealed significant tissue damage including necrosis and degeneration, suggesting that microplastics can cause organ-level toxicity in fish through mitochondrial oxidative stress.

2025 Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Activation of gut metabolite ACSL4/LPCAT3 by microplastics in drinking water mediates ferroptosis via gut–kidney axis

This study found that polystyrene microplastics carrying the pollutant benzo[a]pyrene caused kidney damage in mice by triggering a type of cell death called ferroptosis through disrupted fat metabolism. The damage occurred through a gut-kidney pathway, where the pollutant-laden microplastics first affected intestinal cells before impacting the kidneys. These findings reveal how microplastics in drinking water could act as carriers for other toxins, amplifying harm to the kidneys.

2025 Communications Biology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure of arsenic and polystyrene-nanoplastics induced kidney injury by disrupting mitochondrial homeostasis and mtROS-mediated ferritinophagy and ferroptosis

Researchers found that arsenic and polystyrene nanoplastics together — but not separately — cause kidney fibrosis in mice by disrupting mitochondrial function and triggering a form of iron-dependent cell death called ferroptosis, with mitochondria-targeted antioxidants significantly reducing the combined damage.

2024 Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Inhaled polystyrene microplastics impaired lung function through pulmonary flora/TLR4-mediated iron homeostasis imbalance

Mice that inhaled polystyrene microplastics for 60 days developed lung scarring, reduced lung function, and weakened lung barriers. The microplastics increased harmful bacteria in the lungs, which triggered an iron-related cell death process called ferroptosis -- revealing a new mechanism by which breathing in microplastics could cause lasting lung damage.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Inhalation exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-like lung injury in mice through multi-dimensional assessment

Mice that inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics developed lung damage resembling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including reduced breathing function, inflammation, and oxidative stress that worsened with longer exposure. The study found that nanoplastics caused this damage by disrupting mitochondria and triggering a type of cell death called ferroptosis, suggesting that breathing in airborne nanoplastics could increase the risk of serious lung disease.

2024 Environmental Pollution 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological profiling of polystyrene microplastics in raw 264.7 macrophages: Linking microplastic exposure to immune cell impairment

Researchers exposed immune cells called macrophages to polystyrene microplastics and found that the cells rapidly absorbed the particles within two hours. Higher concentrations caused mitochondrial damage, disrupted cellular recycling processes, and triggered inflammation-related signaling. The study provides evidence that microplastics can impair the function of key immune cells responsible for defending the body against foreign threats.

2025 Toxicology 4 citations