Papers

20 results
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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

Polystyrene microplastics induce gut microbiota dysbiosis and hepatic lipid metabolism disorder in mice

Researchers fed mice two sizes of polystyrene microplastics for five weeks and observed significant disruption of gut bacteria and changes in liver fat metabolism. The microplastics decreased mucus production in the gut and shifted the balance of key bacterial populations at multiple taxonomic levels. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion can trigger gut microbiota imbalance in mammals, which may in turn affect metabolic health.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 966 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics trigger adiposity in mice by remodeling gut microbiota and boosting fatty acid synthesis

Researchers discovered that polystyrene microplastics at relatively low concentrations caused weight gain and excess fat accumulation in mice by reshaping their gut bacteria. The altered gut microbiome boosted fatty acid production, increased appetite, and lowered physical activity in the exposed mice. This finding is significant because it suggests everyday levels of microplastic exposure could contribute to obesity through changes in gut bacteria and metabolism.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut Check: Microbiota and Obesity in Mice Exposed to Polystyrene Microspheres

Researchers found that gut microbiota appeared to play a mediating role in the obesity outcomes observed in mice fed manufactured polystyrene microspheres, suggesting that microplastic-induced alterations to the gut microbiome may be a mechanism linking microplastic exposure to metabolic dysfunction and weight gain.

2024 Environmental Health Perspectives
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic exposure induces insulin resistance in mice via dysbacteriosis and pro-inflammation

Researchers found that exposing mice to polystyrene microplastics induced insulin resistance regardless of whether the animals were on a normal or high-fat diet. The study identified disruption of gut bacteria and increased intestinal inflammation as key mechanisms driving the metabolic changes. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure may contribute to metabolic health issues by altering the gut microbiome and triggering chronic inflammation.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 121 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exposure increases the disruption of intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota homeostasis during obesity and aging

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic exposure worsened intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice on high-fat diets, with the combination of obesity and microplastic exposure producing greater gut permeability and inflammation than either factor alone, suggesting compounding risks in metabolically vulnerable individuals.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences
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

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

Low-dose polystyrene microplastics exposure increases susceptibility to obesity-induced MASLD via disrupting intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota homeostasis

A mouse study found that even low doses of polystyrene microplastics made fatty liver disease significantly worse when combined with a high-fat diet, creating a "double hit" effect. The microplastics damaged the gut lining, disrupted beneficial gut bacteria, and triggered inflammation that spread to the liver, and these harmful effects were difficult to reverse even after two weeks of stopping exposure.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 11 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
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

Impact of Microplastic Exposure on Blood Glucose Levels and Gut Microbiota: Differential Effects under Normal or High-Fat Diet Conditions

Mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics showed changes in blood sugar levels and gut bacteria, with the effects being worse when combined with a high-fat diet. The microplastics disrupted the balance of beneficial gut bacteria and increased markers associated with type 2 diabetes. This study suggests that microplastic exposure could contribute to blood sugar problems in people, especially those who already eat an unhealthy diet.

2024 Metabolites 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Obesogenic polystyrene microplastic exposures disrupt the gut-liver-adipose axis

Mice that drank water containing polystyrene microplastics for 13 weeks developed signs of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, with disruptions across the gut, liver, and fat tissue. The microplastics caused intestinal bacteria changes, liver inflammation, and altered fat storage, affecting the entire gut-liver-fat tissue communication system. These findings suggest that chronic microplastic ingestion through contaminated water and food could contribute to obesity and metabolic disease in humans.

2024 Toxicological Sciences 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Supporting information.

Researchers found that nine weeks of oral polystyrene microplastic administration disrupted hepatic lipid, glucose, and amino acid metabolism in leptin-knockout obese mice while also altering fecal microbiota composition, suggesting that microplastic exposure compounds metabolic dysfunction in obesity.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Oral Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics of Mice on a Normal or High-Fat Diet and Intestinal and Metabolic Outcomes

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics caused metabolic problems like diabetes and fatty liver disease in mice, but only when combined with a high-fat diet. The high-fat diet appeared to damage the gut lining enough to allow microplastics to deposit in the intestinal wall, triggering inflammation that altered nutrient absorption. This suggests that people with poor diets may be more vulnerable to the harmful effects of microplastic exposure.

2023 Environmental Health Perspectives 115 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of frying on microplastics load in fish and implications on health

Researchers investigated the effects of polyethylene microplastics on gut microbiota composition in mice fed a high-fat diet, finding that microplastic exposure altered microbial diversity and increased gut permeability. Co-exposure with a high-fat diet amplified metabolic disruption.

2022 Food Frontiers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota and metabolic health risks from chronic low-dose microplastic exposure with focus on Desulfovibrio spp.

Researchers investigated the effects of long-term, low-dose polystyrene microplastic intake on gut bacteria and metabolism in mice. They found that even low doses significantly altered the gut microbiome, increasing bacteria linked to gastrointestinal inflammation and colorectal cancer risk, while also disrupting lipid and amino acid metabolism. The study suggests that routine microplastic exposure through food and water could quietly shift gut health in ways associated with chronic metabolic conditions.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-Term Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Doses of Large Polystyrene Microplastics Disturbs Lipid Homeostasis via Bowel Function Interference

Researchers exposed mice to environmentally relevant doses of large polystyrene microplastics in their diet for 21 weeks and found significant disruptions to fat metabolism and gut bacterial communities. The microplastics interfered with bowel function, which in turn altered how the body processes and stores lipids. The study provides evidence that even low-level, long-term microplastic exposure through food may affect metabolic health in mammals.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbiota-mediated metabolic perturbations in the gut and brain of mice after microplastic exposure

In a mouse study, oral exposure to polystyrene microplastics of two sizes altered the gut bacteria community and caused metabolic changes in both the intestines and the brain. The disrupted gut bacteria appeared to drive changes in bile acid, energy, and other metabolic pathways. These findings support the idea that microplastics in food and water could affect brain health indirectly by first disrupting the gut microbiome and its chemical signals.

2023 Chemosphere 30 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