Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Protective Effect of Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis against ThioacetamideInduced Hepatorenal Toxicity in Male Rats

This paper is not directly about microplastics — it evaluates whether the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis can protect against liver and kidney toxicity caused by thioacetamide in rats, finding significant protective effects via antioxidant mechanisms.

2023 Journal of Current Veterinary Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative acute toxicity study of Syringodium isoetifolium on aquatic and rodent experimental animals

This paper is not about microplastics; it tests the acute toxicity of a seagrass (Syringodium isoetifolium) extract on brine shrimp, zebrafish, and rats to evaluate its safety profile for potential pharmaceutical use.

2023 Hacettepe University Journal of the Faculty of Pharmacy 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The Impact of Microalgae and Their Bioactive Compounds on Liver Well-being in Rats Subjected to Synthetic Phenolic Antioxidants

This review examines how microalgae and their bioactive compounds — including polysaccharides, pigments, and polyphenols — protect liver health in animal models, summarizing evidence for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms. The authors note that algal-derived compounds show hepatoprotective effects in rodent studies, though human clinical evidence remains limited.

2024 Egyptian Journal of Veterinary Science
Article Tier 2

Exposure to microplastics and liver oncogenesis: A comprehensive review on molecular mechanisms and pathogenic pathways

Researchers reviewed mechanisms by which microplastic exposure may promote liver cancer, identifying oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory signaling, and epigenetic disruption as key pathways, while noting that microplastics can also carry heavy metals and organic pollutants that synergistically amplify hepatotoxic and carcinogenic risk.

2026 Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Isolation, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Marine Sponge-Associated Bacteria

This paper is not about microplastics; it screens bacteria isolated from Red Sea and Mediterranean marine sponges for antimicrobial and anticancer compounds, identifying extracts with activity against hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer cell lines.

2023 Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Attenuative effects of poncirin against polyethylene microplastics-prompted hepatotoxicity in rats

Researchers tested whether poncirin, a natural plant compound, could protect rat livers from damage caused by polyethylene microplastics. They found that microplastic exposure caused significant oxidative stress, inflammation, and liver tissue damage, which poncirin was able to substantially reduce by activating protective antioxidant pathways. The study suggests that natural compounds like poncirin may help counteract some of the harmful effects of microplastic exposure on the liver.

2024 Journal of King Saud University - Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Protective effects of herbacetin against polystyrene microplastics-instigated liver damage in rats

Researchers investigated the protective effects of herbacetin, a natural flavonoid, against liver damage caused by polystyrene microplastic exposure in rats. The study found that herbacetin helped restore antioxidant enzyme levels and reduce inflammation markers, suggesting it may offer some protection against microplastic-associated oxidative stress in liver tissue.

2024 Journal of King Saud University - Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-Term Exposure to Microplastics Promotes Early-Stage Hepatocarcinogenesis Induced by Diethylnitrosamine in Rats by Modulation of Their Gut Microbiota

Using a long-term mouse exposure model, researchers found that chronic microplastic ingestion promoted early-stage liver cancer development through oxidative stress, inflammation, and epigenetic alterations, providing mechanistic evidence for a microplastics-hepatocarcinogenesis link.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic particles induced hepatotoxic injury via pyroptosis, oxidative stress, and fibrotic changes in adult male albino rats; the therapeutic role of silymarin

Researchers examined the liver toxicity of polystyrene microplastic particles in adult male rats and evaluated whether silymarin, a liver-protective compound, could mitigate the damage. The study found that exposure to 1 and 5 micrometer microplastics induced liver injury through pyroptosis, oxidative stress, and fibrotic changes, and that silymarin treatment showed potential therapeutic effects against these microplastic-induced injuries.

2023 Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Hepatoprotective effects of astragalin against polystyrene microplastics induced hepatic damage in male albino rats by modulating Nrf-2/Keap-1 pathway

Researchers investigated whether astragalin, a natural plant compound, could protect against liver damage caused by polystyrene microplastics in rats. They found that microplastic exposure triggered oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver, but astragalin treatment restored antioxidant enzyme activity and reduced damage. The study suggests that natural compounds may help counteract some of the harmful effects microplastics have on liver health.

2023 Journal of Functional Foods 25 citations
Article Tier 2

CYP2E1 deficit mediates cholic acid-induced malignant growth in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

This paper is not about microplastics. It investigated how cholic acid, a bile acid, promotes liver cancer cell growth through a mechanism involving the CYP2E1 enzyme and autophagy signaling pathways. The study is focused on liver cancer biology and has no connection to microplastic pollution.

2024
Article Tier 2

Ginkgetin alleviates polystyrene microplastics-instigated liver injury in rats through Nrf-2/Keap-1 pathway activation

The biflavonoid ginkgetin protected rat livers from polystyrene microplastic-induced hepatotoxicity by activating the Nrf2/Keap1 antioxidant signaling pathway, restoring antioxidant enzyme activities and liver function markers at a dose of 25 mg/kg.

2024 Journal of King Saud University - Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

From Ocean to Medicine: Harnessing Seaweed’s Potential for Drug Development

This review explores how compounds derived from seaweed show promise for drug development, with properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity. While not directly about microplastics, marine-derived bioactive compounds could be relevant to addressing the inflammation and oxidative stress that microplastic exposure is known to cause in the body.

2024 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Sinensetin mitigates polystyrene nanoplastics induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats: A biochemical and histopathological study

Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics caused significant liver damage in rats, including oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death, along with elevated liver enzymes that are markers of liver injury in clinical settings. Treatment with sinensetin — a natural plant flavonoid — substantially reversed these effects, restoring antioxidant enzyme activity and reducing inflammatory markers. The findings establish a potential protective role for natural compounds against nanoplastic-induced organ toxicity and illuminate the mechanisms by which nanoplastics harm the liver.

2023 Journal of King Saud University - Science
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics: Emerging drivers of hepatic pathogenesis and metabolic dysfunction

This review examines emerging evidence linking micro- and nanoplastic exposure to liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Researchers found that these particles may contribute to liver damage through oxidative stress, inflammation, and disruption of metabolic pathways. The study highlights the need for further research into how environmental plastic contamination may be influencing the rising rates of liver disease worldwide.

2025 Hepatology forum/Hepatology forum (Online) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Attenuative effects of tamarixetin against polystyrene microplastics‐induced hepatotoxicity in rats by regulation of Nrf‐2/Keap‐1 pathway

Researchers investigated whether tamarixetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, could reduce liver damage caused by polystyrene microplastic exposure in rats. The study found that tamarixetin helped protect against microplastic-induced liver toxicity by activating antioxidant defense pathways, suggesting potential protective effects of certain plant-derived compounds against microplastic-related oxidative stress.

2023 Cell Biochemistry and Function 10 citations
Article Tier 2

New Progress in Zebrafish Liver Tumor Models: Techniques and Applications in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research

This review summarizes advances in using zebrafish as models for studying liver cancer, covering techniques like transplantation, genetic modification, and chemical induction. While focused on cancer research methods rather than microplastics directly, zebrafish are increasingly used to study how microplastic exposure affects liver health. The liver tumor models described here could be valuable tools for investigating whether chronic microplastic exposure contributes to liver disease.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced hepatic cytotoxicity of chemically transformed polystyrene microplastics by simulated gastric fluid

Polystyrene microplastics transformed by simulated gastric fluid showed significantly increased cytotoxicity in hepatocytes compared to untransformed MPs, suggesting that digestive bioprocessing alters the surface chemistry of ingested microplastics in ways that heighten their liver toxicity.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging threat of environmental microplastics: A comprehensive analysis of hepatic metabolic dysregulation and hepatocellular damage (Review)

This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics damage the liver, which is a key organ for filtering toxins from the body. Studies show that microplastics can cause liver tissue damage, trigger cell death, and disrupt fat metabolism, with smaller particles and longer exposure causing worse effects. The findings highlight the liver as a particularly vulnerable organ because it accumulates microplastics that enter the body through food and water.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Medicine 7 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Potential toxicity of microplastics on vertebrate liver: A systematic review and meta–analysis

This meta-analysis of 118 studies found that microplastics damage vertebrate livers by inducing oxidative stress and intracellular toxicity, altering biotransformation processes, and disrupting lipid metabolism. Organisms at earlier life stages, exposed to smaller particles, and for longer durations showed the greatest liver damage, with catalase, GST, reactive oxygen species, and alkaline phosphatase levels progressively increasing with microplastic concentration.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 17 citations