Papers

61,005 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics in focus: a silent disruptor of liver health- a systematic review

This systematic review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect liver health, based on 25 experimental and observational studies. The evidence shows that polystyrene particles can cause liver inflammation, oxidative stress, fat buildup, and disruption of metabolic pathways. These findings are concerning because the liver is the body's primary detoxification organ, and plastic-related damage could impair its ability to process other toxins.

2025 Frontiers in Pharmacology
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on liver health: Current understanding and future research directions

This review summarizes what scientists know about how micro- and nanoplastics affect the liver, which is one of the first organs exposed because it processes everything absorbed from the gut. The particles trigger oxidative stress, disrupt energy metabolism, cause cell death, and promote inflammation, and may contribute to conditions like fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis. The paper also highlights how plastics can disturb the gut microbiome, which communicates with the liver through the gut-liver axis and may amplify liver damage.

2024 World Journal of Gastroenterology 32 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
Systematic Review Tier 1

Table 1_Microplastics in focus: a silent disruptor of liver health- a systematic review.docx

This systematic review of 25 studies found that micro- and nanoplastics can damage liver cells by causing oxidative stress, inflammation, and disrupting how the liver processes fats. These findings suggest that plastic particles small enough to reach the liver could contribute to liver disease, though more human studies are needed.

2025 Figshare
Review Tier 2

Nanoplastics Toxicity Specific to Liver in Inducing Metabolic Dysfunction—A Comprehensive Review

This review examines how nanoplastics, particles smaller than 100 nanometers, accumulate in and damage the liver. Researchers found that nanoplastics enter the body through the respiratory and digestive systems, reach the liver via the bloodstream, and can disrupt the gut-liver axis and gut microbiome. The evidence suggests that liver damage from nanoplastics may trigger cascading effects on other organs, highlighting the need for further research on these less visible pollutants.

2023 Genes 51 citations
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

Hepatotoxic Mechanisms of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Animal Models: A Scoping Review with Human Health Implications

This scoping review examines hepatotoxic mechanisms of micro- and nanoplastics in animal models, identifying oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid peroxidation, and epigenetic alterations as the primary pathways through which plastic particles damage liver tissue.

2025 OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
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
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of microplastics on gastrointestinal injury and liver metabolism disorder (Review)

This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics can damage the gastrointestinal tract and disrupt liver metabolism when they enter the human body. The particles trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death in gut tissues, and can interfere with how the liver processes glucose and fats. As plastics continue to break down into ever-smaller particles, the potential for harm increases because nanoplastics can penetrate cells more easily.

2025 Molecular Medicine Reports 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics, Liver Injury, and Oxidative Mechanisms: Translating Animal Models Into Human Risk Assessment

This scoping review synthesized evidence from animal studies on how micro- and nanoplastics cause liver injury, focusing on the underlying mechanisms of toxicity. Researchers found that oxidative stress is a principal pathway by which these particles damage liver tissue, and the study evaluates what these preclinical findings may mean for assessing human health risks from plastic particle exposure.

2025 Cureus 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-mediated new mechanism of liver damage: From the perspective of the gut-liver axis

This review describes how microplastics can damage the liver through the gut-liver axis: they first disrupt the gut's protective barrier and beneficial bacteria, allowing harmful substances to leak through the weakened intestinal wall into the bloodstream and travel to the liver. Once there, these substances cause inflammation, metabolic problems, and oxidative stress, offering a new explanation for how microplastic exposure could lead to liver disease.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro-and-nano plastics on various organ systems in health

This review examines the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics on multiple human organ systems—including the gut, liver, lungs, cardiovascular system, and brain—summarizing mechanisms of harm such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption.

2025
Article Tier 2

Are Ingested or Inhaled Microplastics Involved in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

This review explored the potential connection between microplastic exposure through ingestion and inhalation and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which has become a leading cause of chronic liver injury. The study discusses how dietary and environmental microplastic exposure could potentially influence liver health through mechanisms including inflammation and endocrine disruption, though further research is needed to establish definitive links.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 41 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Hazards of microplastics exposure to liver function in fishes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This meta-analysis found that microplastic exposure significantly impairs fish liver function, elevating key liver enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP, LDH) and triggering oxidative stress markers in liver tissue. The toxicological mechanisms include inflammation, apoptosis, and metabolic disruption, raising concerns about the health of fish populations in microplastic-contaminated waters and the safety of fish as a human food source.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic compounds and liver diseases: Whether bisphenol A is the only culprit

This review looks at how plastic-derived chemicals beyond just bisphenol A (BPA) can damage the liver, particularly by contributing to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The authors find that microplastics, nanoplastics, and various bisphenol alternatives all show links to liver problems, suggesting that the full range of plastic pollutants -- not just BPA -- may pose a greater threat to liver health than previously understood.

2024 Liver International 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential health impact of environmental micro‐ and nanoplastics pollution

This review examines the potential health impacts of micro- and nanoplastic pollution on humans, focusing on oral and inhalation exposure routes. The study discusses how the potential toxicity of plastic particles arises from the plastics themselves, leachable chemical additives, and adsorbed environmental contaminants. Evidence indicates that the primary health concerns involve gastrointestinal and liver effects, with oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolism disruption as key toxicological mechanisms.

2019 Journal of Applied Toxicology 312 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: An emerging threat to liver health

This review examined emerging evidence linking microplastic exposure to the development and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD). The authors found that microplastics detected in liver tissue can exacerbate hepatic inflammation, lipid accumulation, and oxidative stress through multiple mechanisms, adding a novel environmental risk factor to MASLD pathogenesis.

2025 World Journal of Hepatology
Systematic Review Tier 1

Assessing the Impact of Nanoplastics in Biological Systems: Systematic Review of In Vitro Animal Studies

This systematic review of lab studies found that nanoplastics can damage cells in the gut, lungs, liver, brain, and reproductive organs of animals. These ultra-small plastic particles appear capable of crossing biological barriers and causing inflammation and oxidative stress, raising concerns about similar effects in humans.

2025 Journal of Xenobiotics 10 citations
Review Tier 2

A review of data for quantifying human exposures to micro and nanoplastics and potential health risks

This review synthesizes data on human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics through air, water, and food, and examines the potential health effects. Researchers found evidence of respiratory, liver, immune, and gastrointestinal impacts in humans and mammals exposed to elevated plastic particle levels, with toxicity varying by plastic type and size. The study highlights that while growing evidence links plastic particle exposure to health concerns, significant data gaps remain in quantifying actual human intake and long-term risks.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 203 citations
Article Tier 2

The hepatotoxicity assessment of micro/nanoplastics: A preliminary study to apply the adverse outcome pathways

Researchers reviewed the literature on how micro- and nanoplastics cause liver damage and organized the findings into an Adverse Outcome Pathway framework. They found that plastic particles can trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic disruption in the liver, potentially leading to dysfunction. The study provides a structured way to understand the chain of events from plastic particle exposure to liver harm, highlighting potential health risks for humans.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Impact of microplastics exposure on liver health: A comprehensive meta-analysis

This meta-analysis of 70 studies across mice, fish, crabs, and shrimp found that microplastic exposure significantly increases liver enzymes (ALT, AST), oxidative stress marker MDA, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-alpha), while reducing protective antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH, GPx). The findings demonstrate that microplastics disrupt liver function through oxidative stress and inflammation across multiple animal species.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 10 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics in humans: systematic review of in vivo evidence

This review of existing research found that tiny plastic particles (called microplastics and nanoplastics) build up in different parts of the human body and may cause inflammation and organ problems. However, the studies had different methods and limitations, so scientists can't yet prove these plastics directly cause health issues. Better long-term studies are needed to understand if microplastics - which come from things like plastic bottles and food packaging - truly harm human health.

2026 Environmental Health
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Human Health: Toxicological Mechanisms Involving Oxidative Stress, Endocrine Interference, and Inflammatory Responses

Tiny plastic particles called microplastics and nanoplastics are now found everywhere—in our air, water, and food—and this review of existing research shows they may harm our health in three main ways. These particles can damage cells, disrupt hormones, and cause inflammation throughout the body, potentially affecting organs like the heart, liver, and brain. While scientists are still studying exactly how dangerous these plastic particles are to humans, the evidence suggests we should be concerned about our constant exposure to them.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The Health Effects of Presence of Microplastics in Water Resources and Food Products: A Narrative Review

Researchers reviewed how microplastics from packaged foods, bottled water, and plastic containers enter the human body, accumulating in organs including the liver, muscle, and brain after passing through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. The review links microplastic exposure to digestive damage, nervous system disruption, and potentially cancer, recommending reduced use of single-use plastics as a practical protective step.

2025 Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences