Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics Exacerbate Cadmium-Induced Kidney Injury by Enhancing Oxidative Stress, Autophagy, Apoptosis, and Fibrosis

Researchers exposed mice to microplastics and cadmium for three months and found that microplastics significantly worsened cadmium-induced kidney injury. The combined exposure enhanced oxidative stress, autophagy, cell death, and tissue scarring in the kidneys beyond what cadmium alone caused. The study suggests that microplastics may act as amplifiers of heavy metal toxicity in organ systems.

2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Alterations in the Haemotological and Biochemical Responses of Exposed to Allium sativum Extract Against Cadmium Oxide in Male Swiss Albino Mice

This paper is not directly about microplastics — it investigates whether garlic extract (Allium sativum) can protect against cadmium oxide toxicity in mice, measuring hematological and biochemical markers of organ damage.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Galangin attenuates oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis in high glucose-induced renal tubular epithelial cells through modulating renin–angiotensin system and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

Researchers found that a plant compound called galangin protected kidney cells from damage caused by high blood sugar by reducing oxidative stress and activating protective signaling pathways. While focused on diabetes treatment, this research is not directly related to microplastic contamination.

2021 Toxicology Research 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene exacerbates cadmium‐induced mitochondrial damage to lung by blocking autophagy in mice

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics exacerbated cadmium-induced mitochondrial damage in mouse lungs by blocking autophagy, revealing a synergistic toxicity mechanism when these two common environmental contaminants co-occur.

2023 Environmental Toxicology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Nutrient Metabolism Pathways Analysis and Key Candidate Genes Identification Corresponding to Cadmium Stress in Buckwheat through Multiomics Analysis

This study used transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis to investigate how buckwheat responds to cadmium stress at the molecular level, identifying key metabolic pathways affected by the heavy metal. It is not about microplastics and is not relevant to microplastic research.

2023 Genes 12 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of important heavy metals toxicity with special emphasis on nephrotoxicity and its management in cattle

This review summarizes how heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium damage kidneys in cattle, building up in the body and food chain over time. Even low doses cause oxidative stress and organ damage that worsens with prolonged exposure. While focused on cattle, the findings are relevant to microplastics research because microplastics can absorb and transport these same heavy metals into animals and humans through contaminated food and water.

2023 Frontiers in Veterinary Science 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Astragalus Polysaccharides Ameliorate the Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Boar Sperm

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can damage sperm cells by causing harmful chemical reactions, but a natural compound from the Astragalus plant can help protect against this damage. This study used pig sperm in lab dishes, so we don't know yet if the same protection would work in humans. The findings matter because microplastics are everywhere in our environment and food, and this research suggests natural antioxidants might help reduce their potential harm to reproductive health.

2026 Acta Veterinaria Eurasia
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics disrupt renal function, mitochondrial bioenergetics, redox homeostasis, and histoarchitecture in Wistar rats

Researchers gave rats polyethylene microplastics orally for 28 days and found dose-dependent kidney damage, including impaired filtration, electrolyte imbalances, and tissue inflammation. The microplastics depleted antioxidant defenses, increased oxidative stress markers, and disrupted mitochondrial energy production in kidney cells, identifying the kidneys as a critical target of microplastic toxicity.

2025 Scientific Reports 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Cell organelles as targets of mammalian cadmium toxicity

This review examines how cadmium — an industrial heavy metal increasingly present in soil, water, and food — damages cell organelles including mitochondria, lysosomes, the nucleus, and the endoplasmic reticulum, with connections to microplastics as a delivery vector for cadmium exposure.

2020 Archives of Toxicology 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Therapeutic potential of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide in Doxorubicin-induced nephropathy: modulation of renin-angiotensin system and proteinuria

This paper is not directly about microplastics — it evaluates a polysaccharide peptide from Ganoderma lucidum mushroom as a treatment for doxorubicin-induced kidney injury in mice, finding it inhibits the renin-angiotensin system and reduces proteinuria.

2023 Frontiers in Pharmacology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Possible Ameliorative Role of Robinetin to Counteract Polystyrene Microplastics Instigated Renal Toxicity in Rats

Researchers tested whether robinetin, a plant-derived compound, could protect rat kidneys from damage caused by polystyrene microplastic exposure. They found that microplastics caused significant kidney harm through oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death, but robinetin supplementation substantially reversed these effects. The study suggests that natural antioxidant compounds may offer a protective strategy against microplastic-related organ damage.

2024 Pakistan Veterinary Journal 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Protective Effect of Resveratrol on Kidney Disease and Hypertension Against Microplastics Exposure in Male Juvenile Rats

Researchers investigated whether resveratrol, a natural plant compound, could protect young rats from kidney damage and high blood pressure caused by microplastic exposure. They found that microplastics elevated blood pressure and creatinine levels through oxidative stress, and that resveratrol treatment effectively prevented these effects. The study suggests resveratrol may offer protective benefits against organ damage linked to microplastic exposure, partly by improving gut microbiota balance.

2024 Antioxidants 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Attenuative Effects of Ginkgetin Against Polystyrene Microplastics-Induced Renal Toxicity in Rats

Researchers found that ginkgetin, a natural flavonoid, significantly reduced polystyrene microplastic-induced kidney damage in rats by restoring antioxidant enzyme activity and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation markers.

2023 Pakistan Veterinary Journal 14 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

Co-exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of cadmium and polystyrene nanoplastics induced oxidative stress, ferroptosis and excessive mitophagy in mice kidney

A mouse study found that combined exposure to cadmium (a toxic metal) and polystyrene nanoplastics caused more kidney damage than either pollutant alone. The combination triggered a harmful chain reaction involving oxidative stress, iron buildup, and excessive breakdown of cellular energy factories called mitochondria. This is significant because people are often exposed to both nanoplastics and heavy metals simultaneously, and their combined effects may be worse than expected.

2023 Environmental Pollution 80 citations
Review Tier 2

Current Levels of Environmental Exposure to Cadmium in Industrialized Countries as a Risk Factor for Kidney Damage in the General Population: A Comprehensive Review of Available Data

This comprehensive review examines whether everyday environmental exposure to cadmium in industrialized countries is high enough to damage kidneys in the general population. The evidence suggests that even low-level chronic exposure can harm kidney function, especially in vulnerable groups. While focused on cadmium, this is relevant to microplastics research because microplastics can absorb and transport heavy metals like cadmium into the body.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 65 citations
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

Micro-algal astaxanthin ameliorates polystyrene microplastics-triggered necroptosis and inflammation by mediating mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis in carp’s head kidney lymphocytes (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Researchers investigated whether astaxanthin, a natural pigment from microalgae, could protect carp immune cells from damage caused by polystyrene microplastics. They found that astaxanthin reduced inflammation and cell death triggered by microplastics by helping maintain calcium balance within the cells' mitochondria. The study suggests that natural antioxidant compounds may help mitigate some of the harmful immune effects of microplastic exposure in fish.

2023 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Damage and the Expression and Function of Mitochondrial Thioredoxin in Phascolosoma esculenta

This study investigated how cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, damages a marine invertebrate by causing oxidative stress and disrupting mitochondrial function. The organism's thioredoxin defense system tried to counteract the damage but was overwhelmed at higher cadmium levels. While focused on cadmium toxicity, the findings are relevant to microplastics research because microplastics in marine environments can concentrate and transport heavy metals like cadmium into organisms and up the food chain.

2024 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 13 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

Sakuranetin counteracts polyethylene microplastics induced nephrotoxic effects via modulation of Nrf2/Keap1 pathway

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics caused kidney damage in rats by increasing oxidative stress and disrupting a key protective cellular pathway. However, when the natural plant compound sakuranetin was administered alongside the microplastics, it significantly reduced the kidney damage by restoring antioxidant defenses. The study suggests that certain natural compounds may help counteract some of the harmful effects of microplastic exposure on organ health.

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

Allantoin Derived From Dioscorea opposita Thunb Ameliorates Cyclophosphamide-Induced Premature Ovarian Failure in Female Rats by Attenuating Apoptosis, Autophagy and Pyroptosis

Researchers studied whether allantoin, a compound from a Chinese yam species, could protect female rats from ovarian damage caused by the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide. They found that allantoin treatment reduced ovarian cell death through multiple protective pathways and helped preserve ovarian function. While this study does not involve microplastics, it contributes to understanding how natural compounds may help protect reproductive health from toxic chemical exposures.

2023 Cureus 16 citations
Article Tier 2

The Mechanism of Combined Exposure of Polystyrene Microplastics and Cadmium Inducing Hepatic Injury through the Modulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR-Mediated Autophagy

Researchers examined liver damage in mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics and cadmium, both alone and in combination, and found that triple exposure to 100-nanometer particles, 1-micrometer particles, and cadmium caused the most severe liver dysfunction. The study suggests that nanoscale microplastics significantly enhance cadmium-induced liver injury through disrupted autophagy via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

2026 Chemical Research in Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Cadmium and polyvinyl chloride microplastics induce mitochondrial damage and apoptosis under oxidative stress in duck kidney

Researchers exposed Muscovy ducks to cadmium and polyvinyl chloride microplastics, both individually and in combination, and found that each pollutant alone caused kidney damage through oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Interestingly, the combined exposure actually reduced some markers of damage compared to single exposures, suggesting complex interactions between the two contaminants. The study demonstrates that microplastics and heavy metals can significantly impair kidney function in waterfowl through apoptosis and disrupted cellular defense pathways.

2024 Poultry Science 10 citations