Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Integrative network toxicology and molecular docking preliminarily explore the potential role of polystyrene microplastics in childhood obesity

Researchers used computational methods including network toxicology, machine learning, and molecular docking to explore how polystyrene microplastics might contribute to childhood obesity. They identified 40 overlapping genes between obesity-related and microplastic-affected pathways, concentrated in lipid metabolism and insulin signaling. The study suggests that polystyrene microplastics may act as environmental triggers capable of disrupting metabolic balance by interacting with key regulatory genes.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Integrative network toxicology and molecular docking preliminarily explore the potential role of polystyrene microplastics in childhood obesity

Researchers used an integrative computational approach combining cross-species transcriptomics, network toxicology, and molecular docking to investigate potential links between polystyrene microplastic exposure and childhood obesity. They identified shared gene targets involved in lipid metabolism and insulin signaling pathways, with molecular docking confirming stable binding between microplastic compounds and key metabolic proteins. The findings provide a preliminary molecular hypothesis suggesting microplastics could disrupt metabolic processes relevant to obesity.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the toxicological effects of PET-MPs exposure on atherosclerosis through integrated network toxicology analysis and experimental validation

Researchers used network toxicology analysis and laboratory experiments to investigate how polyethylene terephthalate microplastics may contribute to atherosclerosis. They identified several molecular targets and biological pathways through which these microplastics could promote plaque formation in blood vessels. The study provides preliminary evidence that a commonly encountered type of microplastic may interact with cardiovascular disease mechanisms, though further research is needed to confirm these findings.

2026 Naunyn-Schmiedeberg s Archives of Pharmacology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Maternal polystyrene nanoplastics exposure during pregnancy induces obesity development in adult offspring through disrupting lipid homeostasis

Researchers found that maternal inhalation exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics during pregnancy induced obesity development in adult offspring of mice, suggesting in utero exposure to airborne nanoplastics programs metabolic dysfunction. The study linked prenatal nanoplastic exposure to increased adiposity and metabolic changes persisting into adulthood.

2024
Article Tier 2

The impact of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis: Focusing on network toxicology and target gene detection

Researchers used network toxicology and gene analysis to investigate how PET microplastics may influence atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in arteries. They identified specific genes involved in inflammation and immune cell signaling that are affected by both PET exposure and atherosclerosis development. The study suggests that microplastic exposure could worsen cardiovascular disease through shared inflammatory pathways.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

[The effect and mechanism of exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics on lipid metabolism in mice liver].

Researchers exposed mice to 20 nm polystyrene nanoplastics and investigated the effects on hepatic lipid metabolism using multi-omics approaches. Nanoplastic exposure disrupted lipid metabolic pathways in the liver, causing significant changes in lipid accumulation and related gene expression, suggesting a mechanism by which nanoplastic ingestion may contribute to metabolic disorders.

2024 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Mixtures of polystyrene micro and nanoplastics affects fat and glucose metabolism in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and zebrafish larvae

Exposure to a mixture of micro- and nanoplastics increased fat production and impaired the body's ability to use insulin and process sugar in both cell and zebrafish experiments. The plastic mixture triggered inflammation, boosted fat-storing genes, and suppressed insulin signaling pathways. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes.

2025 NanoImpact 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal the mechanism of polystyrene nanoplastics toxicity to mice

Researchers used gene expression and metabolic profiling to understand how polystyrene nanoplastics harm mice at the molecular level, finding disrupted energy metabolism, fat processing, and amino acid pathways in the liver. These molecular changes suggest that nanoplastic exposure could contribute to metabolic disorders, with effects becoming more severe at higher doses.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 21 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Micro- and nanoplastic impact on insulin resistance and related metabolic disorder in rodents: A systematic review

This systematic review examined whether micro- and nanoplastics contribute to insulin resistance in animal studies. The findings suggest that polystyrene plastic particles can disrupt how the body processes sugar and responds to insulin, pointing to a possible link between plastic exposure and metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes.

2025 Open Science Framework
Article Tier 2

Size-Dependent Disruption of Lipid Metabolism by Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans Revealed Through Multi-Omics and Functional Genetic Validation

Researchers used the model organism C. elegans to study how polystyrene particles of different sizes affect lipid metabolism, finding that both 100-nanometer and 1-micrometer particles disrupted fat storage and lipid processing. Multi-omics analysis identified four core genes governing the size-dependent metabolic disruption, and elevated levels of specific lipid metabolites confirmed that microplastics can meaningfully interfere with lipid homeostasis.

2026 Toxics
Article Tier 2

The toxicological impact of PET-MPs exposure on atherosclerosis: insights from network toxicology, molecular docking, and machine learning

Researchers used network toxicology, molecular docking, and machine learning to identify how PET microplastics may promote atherosclerosis, narrowing 28 candidate targets to seven key genes and predicting interactions with atherosclerosis-relevant pathways including inflammation and lipid metabolism.

2025 Scientific Reports
Article Tier 2

Cytotoxic and dysmetabolic impact of polystyrene nanoplastics, a new potential atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk factor, on a steatosis model of HepG2 cells

Researchers exposed cell cultures to polystyrene nanoplastics and found significant cytotoxic effects and metabolic disruption including mitochondrial dysfunction and altered glucose metabolism, suggesting nanoplastics may act as a novel class of metabolic disruptors.

2025 European Atherosclerosis Journal
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Microplastics Exacerbate Systemic Inflammation in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics significantly worsened inflammation and metabolic problems in obese mice fed a high-fat diet. The microplastics were found throughout the body including the brain, where they activated immune cells in the hypothalamus, a region that controls appetite and metabolism. This study suggests that microplastic exposure could be an overlooked factor contributing to the worsening of obesity-related health problems like insulin resistance and chronic inflammation.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 34 citations
Article Tier 2

The cardiovascular toxicity of polystyrene microplastics in rats: based on untargeted metabolomics analysis

A rat study using metabolomics analysis found that long-term exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics led to abnormal fat metabolism and cardiovascular damage. The harm appeared to be driven by oxidative stress and inflammation, suggesting that chronic microplastic exposure could contribute to heart and blood vessel disease.

2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene bead ingestion promotes adiposity and cardiometabolic disease in mice

Researchers fed mice polystyrene microplastic beads and found that ingestion promoted fat accumulation and markers of cardiometabolic disease, including changes in cholesterol levels and inflammatory markers. The microplastics appeared to disrupt metabolic processes related to fat storage and energy regulation. The study suggests that dietary microplastic exposure may contribute to obesity and cardiovascular risk factors, adding a new dimension to concerns about microplastics in the food supply.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the toxicological effects of exposure to environmental pollutants PET-MPs on vascular diseases: insights from network toxicology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and experimental validation

Researchers used network toxicology, molecular docking, and cell experiments to investigate how PET microplastics may contribute to vascular diseases. They identified four core molecular targets and found that PET microplastics induced mitochondrial oxidative stress, increased reactive oxygen species, and promoted vascular smooth muscle cell death. The study provides initial molecular-level evidence that microplastic exposure may be a contributing factor in vascular damage and remodeling.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-Term Exposure to Polystyrene Microspheres and High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice: Evaluating a Role for Microbiota Dysbiosis.

A long-term mouse study examined how chronic exposure to polystyrene microspheres interacts with a high-fat diet to affect obesity-related outcomes, finding that microplastics worsened metabolic disruption and fat accumulation compared to diet alone. The results raise concern that microplastic exposure may be an environmental factor contributing to the global obesity epidemic.

2024 Environmental health perspectives
Article Tier 2

Untargeted metabolomics and transcriptomics joint analysis of the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on lipid metabolism in the mouse liver

Mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics for 12 weeks gained weight without eating more and showed increased cholesterol levels and fat accumulation in their livers. Gene and metabolite analysis revealed that the nanoplastics disrupted fat metabolism pathways in the liver, essentially reprogramming how the body processes and stores fat. These findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure could be a hidden factor contributing to obesity and fatty liver disease in humans.

2025 Lipids in Health and Disease 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic effects of dietary exposure to polystyrene microplastic and nanoplastic in fruit flies

Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study the metabolic effects of ingesting polystyrene microplastic and nanoplastic particles at environmentally relevant doses. They found that both particle sizes disrupted metabolic processes, with nanoplastics causing more pronounced changes in energy storage and lipid metabolism. The study suggests that dietary exposure to plastic particles, even at levels found in the environment, can meaningfully alter metabolic physiology.

2025 Journal of Experimental Biology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Potential Mechanism of Polyethylene Terephthalate Associated Cardiotoxicity through Network Toxicology and Molecular Docking

Researchers used computational approaches including network toxicology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations to explore how polyethylene terephthalate microplastics may affect cardiovascular function. The study identified potential molecular pathways through which PET exposure could contribute to cardiotoxicity. The findings provide a theoretical framework for understanding how plastic contaminants might interact with heart-related biological targets.

2026 ACS Omega
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics alters the intestinal environment and metabolic outcomes in mice

In a mouse study, oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics caused fatty liver disease and abnormal blood lipid levels even without prior gut leakiness. The microplastics triggered intestinal inflammation through immune cells, disrupted gut bacteria, and altered how the body processes nutrients. These results suggest that swallowing microplastics could contribute to metabolic problems and liver disease in humans.

2024 Frontiers in Immunology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic study of plastic monomers in gestational diabetes mellitus: A network toxicology and molecular docking approach

Using network toxicology and molecular docking, researchers investigated how plastic monomers interact with molecular targets involved in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The analysis identified shared gene targets and signaling pathways linking plastic monomer exposure to insulin resistance and inflammatory mechanisms relevant to GDM development.

2025 PLoS ONE
Article Tier 2

Tissue Distribution of Polystyrene or Mixed Polymer Microspheres and Metabolomic Analysis after Oral Exposure in Mice.

Mice orally exposed to polystyrene or mixed polymer microspheres showed plastic particle distribution across multiple tissues including the liver, kidney, and spleen, with metabolomic analysis revealing distinct alterations in lipid, amino acid, and energy metabolism pathways.

2024 Environmental health perspectives