Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Orally administered fluorescent nanosized polystyrene particles affect cell viability, hormonal and inflammatory profile, and behavior in treated mice

Researchers found that orally administered fluorescent polystyrene nanoparticles passed through the mouse digestive system and accumulated in multiple organs. The study observed changes in cell viability, hormonal and inflammatory profiles, and behavior in treated mice, providing evidence that ingested nanoplastics can cross biological barriers and affect multiple body systems.

2022 Environmental Pollution 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics cross the murine intestine and induce inflammatory cell death after phagocytosis by human monocytes and neutrophils

Researchers orally administered 1 μm and 10 μm polystyrene particles to mice for 10 days and found that both sizes crossed the intestinal epithelium and were detected in blood and liver; when phagocytosed by human monocytes and neutrophils, the particles triggered complement-dependent inflammatory cell death.

2025 iScience
Article Tier 2

Microplastics cross the murine intestine and induce inflammatory cell death after phagocytosis by human monocytes and neutrophils

Researchers administered polystyrene microplastics orally to mice and then assessed distribution and immune cell interactions in both mice and human cells. Both 1 µm and 10 µm particles crossed the intestinal epithelium and were detected in blood and liver after 10 days, and human monocytes and neutrophils that ingested the particles underwent inflammatory cell death.

2025
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in a colitis mouse model – effects on biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome

Researchers induced colitis in mice using dextran sodium sulfate and orally administered polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics of three sizes, then tracked biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome changes. In colitis conditions, microplastic uptake into systemic tissues was enhanced, macrophages shifted toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype, and gut microbial diversity decreased, suggesting that inflammatory bowel disease increases vulnerability to microplastic-driven systemic harm.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

Systemic effects of nanoplastics on multi-organ at the environmentally relevant dose: The insights in physiological, histological, and oxidative damages

Researchers gave mice nanoplastics at doses estimated to match real-world human exposure levels and found the particles crossed the intestinal barrier and accumulated in the liver and kidneys. Even at these low, environmentally relevant doses, the nanoplastics caused oxidative stress and tissue damage across multiple organs. The findings suggest that everyday nanoplastic exposure may pose broader health risks than previously assumed.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in a colitis mouse model – effects on biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome

Researchers exposed colitis mouse models to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics to test whether MNP exposure worsens inflammatory bowel disease, finding that MNPs altered biodistribution and exacerbated inflammatory responses in animals with pre-existing gut inflammation.

2025
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce an immunometabolic active state in macrophages

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics taken up by macrophages — immune cells lining the gut and lungs — triggered a metabolic shift toward an inflammatory state. This finding suggests microplastics reaching human tissues may alter immune function in ways that could contribute to inflammation-related diseases.

2021 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microparticle distribution after ingestion by murine macrophages

Researchers tracked what happens to polystyrene microparticles after they are ingested by mouse immune cells called macrophages. They found that the particles were distributed unevenly during cell division in a cell-type-specific manner, and no active excretion of the microplastics was observed. The study suggests that once immune cells take up microplastic particles, the particles may persist inside cells and accumulate over successive generations of cell division.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro- and nanoplastic exposure on macrophages: a review of molecular and cellular mechanisms

This review details how macrophages, key immune cells, respond when they engulf micro- and nanoplastics. The particles trigger inflammatory signaling, damage mitochondria and lysosomes, cause excessive production of harmful reactive oxygen species, and can lead to cell death, while in fat tissue they promote fat buildup and insulin resistance.

2025 Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induce intestinal and hepatic inflammation through activation of NF-κB/NLRP3 pathways and related gut-liver axis in mice

In a mouse study, ingested polystyrene nanoplastics accumulated in the gut and liver and triggered inflammation through specific immune pathways, damaging the intestinal lining and allowing bacterial toxins to leak into the liver. This gut-liver connection suggests that swallowing nanoplastics could set off a chain reaction of inflammation affecting multiple organs in the body.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Tissue distribution of polystyrene nanoplastics in mice and their entry, transport, and cytotoxicity to GES-1 cells

Scientists tracked polystyrene nanoplastics in mice after oral exposure and found the particles accumulated in the stomach, intestines, and liver tissues. In human gastric cells, the nanoplastics entered through multiple pathways and were transported through the cell's internal trafficking system, ultimately reducing cell growth and increasing cell death. The study provides detailed evidence of how nanoplastics can cross biological barriers and cause cellular damage in mammalian systems.

2021 Environmental Pollution 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Autophagic response of intestinal epithelial cells exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate in the cytoplasm of intestinal epithelial cells, impairing autophagic flux and triggering an autophagic stress response confirmed in both cell and animal models.

2022 Environmental Toxicology 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingested nano- and microsized polystyrene particles surpass the intestinal barrier and accumulate in the body

Researchers fed mice nano- and microsized polystyrene particles for up to 24 weeks to study intestinal barrier crossing and accumulation. The study found that plastic particles accumulated in the small intestine and distant organs, though they did not promote intestinal inflammation or worsen colitis, while noting that long-term accumulative effects on gastrointestinal health cannot be ruled out.

2021 NanoImpact 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Noxic effects of polystyrene microparticles on murine macrophages and epithelial cells

Polystyrene microparticles induced cytotoxic effects in murine macrophages and intestinal epithelial cells at higher concentrations, triggering cell membrane damage, inflammatory cytokine release, and reduced phagocytic function, with smaller particles generally causing greater harm than larger ones at equivalent mass doses.

2021 Scientific Reports 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Mitigating microplastic-induced organ Damage: Mechanistic insights from the microplastic-macrophage axes

This review is the first comprehensive examination of how microplastics interact with macrophages, the immune cells responsible for engulfing and removing foreign particles from the body. When macrophages absorb microplastics, the resulting oxidative stress disrupts their normal function, leading to inflammation and organ damage, with gut bacteria potentially playing a role in this harmful process.

2025 Redox Biology 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Tissue accumulation of microplastics in mice and biomarker responses suggest widespread health risks of exposure

Researchers fed mice polystyrene microplastics of two sizes and tracked where the particles accumulated in the body, finding them in the liver, kidneys, and gut with distribution patterns depending on particle size. Biochemical analysis revealed that microplastic exposure disrupted energy and fat metabolism, caused oxidative stress, and altered markers of neurotoxicity in the blood. The study provides evidence that microplastics can accumulate in mammalian tissues and may pose widespread health risks.

2017 Scientific Reports 1354 citations
Article Tier 2

Negative impact of oral exposure to polystyrene microplastics on glucose tolerance and intestinal environment in mice is independent of particle size

Researchers fed mice on a high-fat diet polystyrene microplastics of three different sizes and found that all sizes impaired glucose tolerance, regardless of particle dimensions. The microplastics caused intestinal inflammation, altered gut bacteria, and damaged the lining of the intestinal tract. The study suggests that the harmful metabolic effects of ingesting microplastics may occur broadly and are not limited to one particular particle size.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A Western-style diet shapes the gut and liver responses to low-dose, fit-for-purpose polystyrene nanoplastics in mice

A subchronic mouse study found that low-dose polystyrene nanoplastics designed to mimic real-world particle characteristics impaired gut and liver health in a non-monotonic, diet-dependent manner, with Western-style diet amplifying the effects.

2025 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in a colitis mouse model – effects on biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome

Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in a mouse model of colitis, examining biodistribution, immune cell responses, and gut microbiome changes. The study found that nanosized particles in particular showed distinct biodistribution patterns and affected macrophage polarization under inflammatory conditions, suggesting that intestinal inflammation may alter how the body handles micro- and nanoplastic particles.

2026 Refubium (Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin)
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the intestinal microenvironment by altering bacteria-host interactions through extracellular vesicle-delivered microRNAs

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the gut lining in mice by altering tiny RNA molecules that control the production of protective proteins in the intestinal barrier. The nanoplastics also caused an imbalance in gut bacteria, creating a chain reaction where damaged gut cells release particles that further weaken the intestinal barrier and change the microbiome.

2025 Nature Communications 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics dysregulate lipid metabolism in murine macrophages in vitro

Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on immune cell metabolism and found that macrophages exposed to nanoplastics transformed into lipid-laden foam cells. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure dysregulates lipid metabolism in immune cells, with implications for understanding how these particles may interact with the immune system at the cellular level.

2021 Toxicology 91 citations
Article Tier 2

Tissue Distribution of Polystyrene or Mixed Polymer Microspheres and Metabolomic Analysis after Oral Exposure in Mice.

Mice orally exposed to polystyrene or mixed polymer microspheres showed plastic particle distribution across multiple tissues including the liver, kidney, and spleen, with metabolomic analysis revealing distinct alterations in lipid, amino acid, and energy metabolism pathways.

2024 Environmental health perspectives
Article Tier 2

Long-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics reduces macrophages and affects the microbiota–gut–brain axis in mice

Mice that consumed polystyrene microplastics over an extended period showed reduced immune cells called macrophages in their colons and changes in gut bacteria that were linked to altered brain chemistry. This study provides evidence for a gut-brain connection where microplastics may affect brain function indirectly by first disrupting gut health and the immune system.

2024 Toxicology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Systematic toxicity evaluation of polystyrene nanoplastics on mice and molecular mechanism investigation about their internalization into Caco-2 cells

Researchers fed mice polystyrene nanoplastics (about 100 nm) for 28 days and found the particles accumulated in multiple organs including the spleen, lungs, kidneys, intestines, testes, and brain. The nanoplastics caused cell death, inflammation, and tissue damage in these organs, as well as disrupted fat metabolism and blood cell counts. This study demonstrates that ingested nanoplastics can spread throughout the body and cause widespread harm, raising concerns about long-term human exposure.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 335 citations