Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Amplified toxic effects of nanoplastic composite norfloxacin on liver cells in mice: Mechanistic insights and multiscale evaluation

Researchers examined the combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin on mouse liver cells and found that co-exposure was significantly more harmful than either contaminant alone. The nanoplastics acted as carriers that increased antibiotic accumulation inside cells, amplifying oxidative damage and disrupting key protective enzymes. The study highlights that nanoplastics in the environment can worsen the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants like antibiotics.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut–Liver Axis Mediates the Combined Hepatointestinal Toxicity of Triclosan and Polystyrene Microplastics in Mice: Implications for Human Co-Exposure Risks

Mice co-exposed to the antimicrobial triclosan and polystyrene microplastics showed markedly worse intestinal and liver damage than those exposed to either contaminant alone, with gut microbiome disruption identified as a key mediating mechanism.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and tetracycline on intestinal injury in mice

Researchers found that mice exposed to both microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline suffered more intestinal damage than those exposed to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure caused distinct injuries across different segments of the intestine and disrupted gut bacteria composition. This is concerning because humans are commonly exposed to both microplastics and antibiotic residues through food and water.

2023 Chemosphere 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-term exposure to ciprofloxacin and microplastic leads to intrahepatic cholestasis, while long-term exposure decreases energy metabolism and increases the risk of obesity

Mice exposed to both nanoplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin developed liver problems that worsened over time: short-term exposure caused bile buildup in the liver, while long-term exposure disrupted energy metabolism and increased the risk of obesity. The combination of the two pollutants was more harmful than either one alone. This is concerning because people are routinely exposed to both microplastics and antibiotic residues through food and water.

2025 Environment International 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The interaction between polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin on inducing hepatotoxicity in Carassius auratus via the gut-liver axis

Researchers co-exposed crucian carp to polyethylene microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin and assessed liver toxicity through the gut-liver axis. The combination caused greater hepatic injury than either contaminant alone—disrupting gut microbiota, increasing intestinal permeability, and amplifying liver inflammation—highlighting synergistic toxicity when fish are exposed to both antibiotic and plastic pollution.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure to polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene microplastics induces liver injury and perturbs gut microbial and serum metabolic homeostasis in mice

Mice exposed to a combination of PVC and polystyrene microplastics for 60 days developed liver damage, gut barrier breakdown, and disrupted gut bacteria. The co-exposure also raised cholesterol and triglyceride levels in both blood and liver, and altered hundreds of metabolites related to fat metabolism. Since people are typically exposed to multiple types of microplastics simultaneously, this study suggests the combined effects may be worse than exposure to a single type alone.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exacerbated liver injury from cyclophosphamide in mice: Insight into gut microbiota

Researchers developed a mouse model to investigate whether chronic pre-exposure to polystyrene microplastics worsens liver injury caused by the drug cyclophosphamide. The study found that mice with 90 days of microplastic exposure showed significantly more severe liver damage when subsequently treated with cyclophosphamide, with changes linked to gut microbiota disruption. The findings suggest that chronic microplastic exposure may reduce the liver's resilience to additional chemical stressors.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics exacerbate aflatoxin B1-induced hepatic injuries by modulating the gut−liver axis

Mice exposed to both polystyrene nanoplastics and aflatoxin B1, a common food contaminant from mold, suffered worse liver damage than from either pollutant alone. The nanoplastics disrupted gut bacteria and weakened the intestinal barrier, allowing more toxins to reach the liver through the gut-liver axis. This study is concerning because it shows that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of other food contaminants people are already exposed to.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic Toxicity of Combined Exposure to Acrylamide and Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Gut–Liver Axis in Mice

Researchers exposed mice to a combination of acrylamide, a common food processing byproduct, and polystyrene nanoplastics through drinking water and found that the combined exposure caused more severe gut and liver damage than either substance alone. The co-exposure disrupted gut barrier integrity, altered gut bacteria composition, and caused widespread metabolic changes. The study suggests that the interaction between nanoplastics and other food contaminants may amplify health risks beyond what each poses individually.

2025 Biology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Prenatal High-Fat Diet Combined with Microplastic Exposure Induces Liver Injury via Oxidative Stress in Male Pups

Researchers studied the combined effects of a maternal high-fat diet and microplastic exposure on liver health in newborn rat pups. They found that the combination caused more severe liver fat accumulation and oxidative stress damage than either factor alone. The study suggests that prenatal exposure to both microplastics and an unhealthy diet may compound the risk of liver injury in offspring.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Hepatotoxicity, developmental toxicity, and neurotoxicity risks associated with co-exposure of zebrafish to fluoroquinolone antibiotics and tire microplastics: An in silico study

Using computer modeling, this study found that tire microplastics combined with common antibiotics caused significantly more liver damage in zebrafish than brain or developmental harm. The two pollutants worked together to amplify toxicity, meaning the combination was worse than either one alone. This highlights how microplastics in waterways can interact with other contaminants to create greater health risks for aquatic life and potentially for humans who consume seafood.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Biomicroplastics and Antibiotics: A Toxic Cocktail for Fatty Liver Disease in Marine Medaka.

Marine medaka fish co-exposed to aged polylactic acid (PLA) biomicroplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethazine developed fatty liver disease more severely than with either contaminant alone, demonstrating synergistic toxicity. The study highlighted that bioplastic debris combined with antibiotics poses a serious health threat to marine organisms.

2025 Environmental science & technology
Article Tier 2

Gut dysbiosis exacerbates inflammatory liver injury induced by environmentally relevant concentrations of nanoplastics via the gut-liver axis

This mouse study found that swallowing nanoplastics at levels found in the environment disrupted gut bacteria and damaged the intestinal barrier, allowing toxins to leak into the bloodstream and cause liver inflammation. When researchers transplanted gut bacteria from nanoplastic-exposed mice into healthy mice, those mice also developed liver damage. This demonstrates that nanoplastics may harm the liver indirectly by first disrupting the gut, a finding relevant to understanding how everyday plastic exposure could affect human health.

2024 Journal of Environmental Sciences 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and perfluorobutane sulfonate on mouse liver: Impact on lipid metabolism and gut-liver axis disruption

This study examined what happens when mice are exposed to both polystyrene microplastics and PFBS (a type of "forever chemical") at the same time. The combination caused significantly worse liver damage than either pollutant alone, disrupting fat metabolism and triggering gut bacteria imbalances that further harmed the liver through the gut-liver connection. These findings are concerning because microplastics can absorb PFAS chemicals in the environment, meaning people may often be exposed to both together.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Biotransformation and oxidative stress markers in yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus latus): Interactive impacts of microplastics and florfenicol

Researchers studied how microplastics interact with the antibiotic florfenicol to affect detoxification enzymes and oxidative stress in yellowfin seabream. They found that combined exposure to both pollutants caused more pronounced liver damage and oxidative stress than either substance alone, and that recovery took longer. The study suggests that microplastics can worsen the toxic effects of antibiotics used in aquaculture.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced hepatotoxicity in zebrafish due to co-exposure of microplastics and sulfamethoxazole: Insights into ROS-mediated MAPK signaling pathway regulation

Zebrafish exposed to both microplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (commonly found in waterways) suffered significantly worse liver damage than exposure to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure triggered a cascade of oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death in liver tissue, showing how microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of other environmental contaminants.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota related response of Oryzias melastigma to combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and tetracycline

Researchers exposed estuarine fish to polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline, both alone and in combination, for four weeks. The combined exposure caused more severe disruption to gut bacteria and liver tissue than either pollutant alone, with microplastics appearing to worsen the effects of tetracycline. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics in coastal waters may pose greater ecological risks than either contaminant by itself.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure of polycarbonate microplastics aggravated the toxic effects of imidacloprid on the liver and gut microbiota in mice

Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of polycarbonate microplastics and the pesticide imidacloprid in mice, finding that exposure to both together caused significantly worse liver damage and gut disruption than either pollutant alone. The microplastics appeared to increase accumulation of the pesticide in liver tissue, amplifying oxidative stress and tissue damage. The findings suggest that microplastics may act as carriers that worsen the harmful effects of pesticides they encounter in the environment.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure to microplastics and particulate matter induced intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction

Researchers established a mouse model combining daily microplastic ingestion and particulate matter inhalation to simulate combined water and air pollution exposure. They found that combined exposure induced greater intestinal inflammation, barrier dysfunction, and gut dysbiosis than either pollutant alone.

2025 Physiology
Article Tier 2

Synergistic toxicity of nanoplastics and Helicobacter pylori on digestive system in mice

Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori on the digestive systems of mice. They found that co-exposure caused more severe damage to the stomach, colon, and liver than either stressor alone, including increased inflammation and disrupted gut barrier function. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination may worsen the health effects of common gut infections.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological mechanisms and molecular impacts of tire particles and antibiotics on zebrafish

Researchers investigated the combined toxic effects of tire microplastics and antibiotics on zebrafish, finding that co-exposure caused more severe damage than either pollutant alone. The combination disrupted liver function, triggered oxidative stress, and altered the expression of genes involved in immune response and metabolism. The study suggests that the widespread co-occurrence of tire particles and antibiotics in waterways may pose compounding risks to aquatic life.

2024 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Enterohepatic Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics and Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate in Mice: Gut Microbiota-Dependent Synergistic Effects

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the plasticizer DEHP in mice, focusing on gut-liver axis effects. They found that co-exposure worsened harmful outcomes compared to either pollutant alone, with gut microbiota playing a key mediating role in the synergistic toxicity. The study suggests that microplastics and their associated chemical additives may interact to amplify health risks through disruption of the gut-liver connection.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and benzo[a]pyrene in rat: Study of the oxidative stress effects in the liver

Researchers exposed rats to polystyrene microplastics and the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, both individually and in combination, to study oxidative stress in liver tissue. The combined exposure caused significantly more liver damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that microplastics may amplify the harmful effects of environmental carcinogens when both are ingested together.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Apoptosis, MAPK signaling pathway affected in tilapia liver following nano-microplastics and sulfamethoxazole acute co-exposure

Researchers exposed juvenile tilapia to nano-microplastics combined with the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole and found significant liver damage, including disrupted enzyme activity and inflammatory responses. The combination triggered cell death pathways and stress signaling in liver tissue more severely than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics may amplify the harmful effects of pharmaceutical pollutants in aquatic environments.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D Genomics and Proteomics 8 citations