Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

High Prolactin Concentration Induces Ovarian Granulosa Cell Oxidative Stress, Leading to Apoptosis Mediated by L-PRLR and S-PRLR

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it investigates how high prolactin concentrations induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in ovine ovarian granulosa cells, a reproductive endocrinology study.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Beyond apoptosis: evidence of other regulated cell death pathways in the ovary throughout development and life

This review explores different types of programmed cell death in the ovary beyond the well-known process of apoptosis, and their roles in ovarian development and function throughout a woman's life. While not focused on microplastics directly, these cell death pathways are important because emerging research shows that microplastic and nanoplastic exposure can trigger abnormal cell death in ovarian tissue. Understanding these pathways is key to assessing how environmental pollutants may affect female fertility.

2023 Human Reproduction Update 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Ox-LDL induced endothelial progenitor cells oxidative stress via p38/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway

This cell biology study investigated how oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) triggers oxidative stress and cell death in endothelial progenitor cells through a specific signaling pathway. While not directly about microplastics, the study is relevant because microplastics are known to trigger similar oxidative stress pathways in cardiovascular tissues.

2021 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics lead to pyroptosis and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells via NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway in rats

In a 90-day study, female rats exposed to polystyrene microplastics had fewer healthy ovarian follicles, increased oxidative damage, and elevated inflammation in their ovaries. The microplastics triggered a type of inflammatory cell death called pyroptosis in the cells surrounding eggs, along with increased programmed cell death. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could harm female fertility by damaging the ovaries and the cells needed for healthy egg development.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 339 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics cause granulosa cells apoptosis and fibrosis in ovary through oxidative stress in rats

Researchers exposed female rats to polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations for 90 days and examined the effects on their ovaries. The study found that microplastic exposure caused cell death and tissue scarring in the ovaries through oxidative stress, suggesting that microplastics may have implications for female reproductive health.

2020 Toxicology 415 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induce apoptosis, autophagy, and steroidogenesis disruption in granulosa cells to reduce oocyte quality and fertility by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway in female mice

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles under 1 micrometer) impair egg cell quality in female mice by damaging the ovarian support cells that help eggs mature, triggering cell death and disrupting hormone production. These findings raise important questions about the potential reproductive risks of nanoplastic exposure in women.

2024 Journal of Nanobiotechnology 51 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 impair mouse oocyte maturation by interfering with fatty acid oxidation

Researchers exposed female mice to polystyrene microplastics via oral dosing for 35 days and found that high doses impair oocyte maturation by upregulating SIRT4 and suppressing fatty acid oxidation, with downstream effects including spindle abnormalities, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and accelerated ovarian aging.

2026 Environmental Sciences Europe
Article Tier 2

Exposure to microplastics leads to a defective ovarian function and change in cytoskeleton protein expression in rat

Researchers exposed female rats to polystyrene microplastics over multiple reproductive cycles and found, for the first time, that the particles accumulated in different parts of the ovarian tissue. The microplastics reduced ovarian weight, disrupted the normal development of egg follicles, altered the reproductive cycle, and lowered estrogen levels. The study suggests these effects are driven by oxidative stress and changes in key structural proteins within the ovary.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene-microplastics and DEHP co-exposure induced DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and necroptosis of ovarian granulosa cells in mice by promoting ROS production

Researchers found that co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and DEHP (a common plastic additive) caused more damage to mouse ovarian cells than either pollutant alone, triggering excessive oxidative stress that led to DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, and cell death. These findings suggest that microplastics combined with their chemical additives may pose a synergistic threat to female reproductive health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 193 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induce ovarian granulosa cell senescence via autophagy suppression

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics induce premature cellular aging (senescence) in human ovarian granulosa cells by suppressing autophagy, triggering inflammatory signaling and mitochondrial dysfunction, and that restoring autophagy with rapamycin reversed these effects — pointing to a potential mechanism linking nanoplastic exposure to accelerated ovarian aging.

2025 NanoImpact
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastic exposure actives ferroptosis by oxidative stress-induced lipid peroxidation in porcine oocytes during maturation

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics trigger ferroptosis — a form of iron-dependent cell death driven by fat oxidation — in pig egg cells, disrupting their maturation and reproductive viability. This finding raises concerns about nanoplastic exposure potentially impairing fertility by damaging the eggs needed for reproduction.

2024 Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology/Journal of animal science and biotechnology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposição De Microplásticos E Nanoplásticos Ao Tecido Ovariano: Uma Revisão Integrativa

This integrative review examines the impact of micro- and nanoplastics on female ovarian tissue, synthesizing animal model studies showing damage to follicular structures, increased oxidative stress, and disrupted reproductive hormone signaling.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Microplastics Induced Ovarian Toxicity in Juvenile Rats Associated with Oxidative Stress and Activation of the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP Signaling Pathway

Researchers exposed juvenile female rats to polystyrene microplastics and found significant ovarian damage, including increased follicle death and reduced hormone levels. The microplastics triggered oxidative stress and activated a specific cellular stress pathway that led to programmed cell death in ovarian tissue. The study suggests that early-life microplastic exposure may pose risks to reproductive development in mammals.

2023 Toxics 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: unraveling the signaling pathways involved in reproductive health

This review examines the effects of microplastics on male and female reproductive health, focusing on the metabolic pathways involved in compromised gamete quality, toxicity, apoptosis, and DNA damage. Evidence indicates that microplastics can increase oxidative stress leading to developmental abnormalities, epigenetic changes, and reduced gamete quality, though research on mammalian and human reproductive effects remains limited compared to studies in aquatic organisms.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in ovarian function and ozone-based mitigation strategies: Emerging evidence and translational implications

This review synthesized emerging evidence that microplastics accumulate in human follicular fluid, oocytes, placenta, and semen, causing oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and meiotic disruption in reproductive cells, and discussed ozone-based strategies as potential mitigation approaches.

2025 Current Research in Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics (MPs) exposure impairs porcine oocyte quality by triggering oxidative stress-directed DNA damage and apoptosis with metabolomic alterations

Researchers exposed pig egg cells (oocytes) to microplastics and found significant damage to their quality, including problems with cell division and chromosome structure. The microplastics disrupted important metabolic processes, leading to oxidative stress, DNA damage, and cell death. Since pig reproductive biology is similar to humans, these findings raise concerns that microplastic exposure could harm female fertility.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 5 citations
Article Tier 2

P-266 Profiling redox effects induced by micro-nanoplastics in the female reproductive system: insights from human granulosa cells

Researchers showed that nano- and microplastics are taken up by human granulosa cells and cause changes in viability, energy production, and antioxidant responses. The findings provide early evidence that plastic particles can interfere with cellular redox balance in the female reproductive system.

2024 Human Reproduction 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induce ovarian injury by PI3K-Akt pathway-driven macrophage extracellular trap formation

Researchers showed that polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate in mouse ovaries, triggering macrophage infiltration and the formation of macrophage extracellular traps (METs) via the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which in turn cause pyroptosis (inflammatory cell death) in granulosa cells and follicular loss — effects reversible with a PI3K inhibitor.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics in follicular fluid are associated with diminished ovarian reserve: clinical and molecular insights

Researchers found that microplastics and nanoplastics present in follicular fluid are associated with diminished ovarian reserve in women. The study provides evidence suggesting that exposure to these particles may harm female ovarian function. The findings point to the environment-gut-ovarian axis as a potential pathway through which micro- and nanoplastic exposure could contribute to reproductive health concerns.

2026 Journal of Advanced Research
Article Tier 2

Exposição De Microplásticos E Nanoplásticos Ao Tecido Ovariano: Uma Revisão Integrativa

This integrative review (in Portuguese) examines published evidence on the effects of micro- and nanoplastic exposure on female ovarian tissue morphology, finding disrupted folliculogenesis, oxidative stress, and hormonal interference reported across animal model studies.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Reproductive toxicity of microplastics role of oxidative stress in cellular and molecular damage

This review synthesizes in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological evidence on how microplastics cause reproductive toxicity, focusing on oxidative stress as the central mechanism. MPs infiltrate reproductive tissues, generate reactive oxygen species, and disrupt gametogenesis, hormone regulation, and embryonic development across multiple species.

2025 World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on the entire female mouse reproductive cycle: Assessing reproductive toxicity of microplastics through in vitro follicle culture

Female mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics suffered significant damage to their reproductive systems, including ovarian cell death, abnormal egg development, and fewer offspring. The microplastics accumulated in the ovaries and triggered cell death pathways while disrupting survival signaling in the cells that support egg development, suggesting microplastic exposure could contribute to declining fertility.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 12 citations
Review Tier 2

Developmental and reproductive toxic effects of exposure to microplastics: A review of associated signaling pathways

This review examines how microplastic exposure affects reproductive and developmental health across multiple species, focusing on the biological signaling pathways involved. Researchers found that microplastics can trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and hormonal disruption through specific cellular pathways, leading to reduced fertility and abnormal development. The study provides a molecular-level framework for understanding why microplastics may pose risks to reproductive health.

2022 Frontiers in Toxicology 85 citations