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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Decision letter: Environmental enrichment enhances patterning and remodeling of synaptic nanoarchitecture as revealed by STED nanoscopy
ClearEditor's evaluation: Environmental enrichment enhances patterning and remodeling of synaptic nanoarchitecture as revealed by STED nanoscopy
This is an editorial evaluation of a neuroscience study on how environmental enrichment changes the physical structure of synaptic connections in the brain. It is not related to microplastics or environmental pollution.
Environmental enrichment enhances patterning and remodeling of synaptic nanoarchitecture revealed by STED nanoscopy
This neuroscience study used STED super-resolution microscopy to show that environmental enrichment enhances the size and structural complexity of synapses in the brain. It is a basic neuroscience paper not related to microplastics or environmental plastic pollution.
Environmental enrichment enhances patterning and remodeling of synaptic nanoarchitecture as revealed by STED nanoscopy
Researchers used STED nanoscopy to reveal that environmental enrichment enhances the patterning and remodeling of synaptic nanoarchitecture in the brain, demonstrating experience-dependent structural plasticity at an unprecedented nanoscale resolution.
Author response: Environmental enrichment enhances patterning and remodeling of synaptic nanoarchitecture as revealed by STED nanoscopy
Researchers developed a virtually crosstalk-free two-color in vivo STED nanoscopy system to simultaneously superresolve PSD95 post-synaptic density dynamics and spine geometry in the mouse cortex, finding that environmental enrichment enhanced the patterning and remodeling of synaptic nanoarchitecture in ways not detectable by conventional microscopy.
Polystyrene microplastics induced disturbances in neuronal arborization and dendritic spine density in mice prefrontal cortex
Mice that consumed polystyrene microplastics for 28 days showed significant damage to brain cells in the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for decision-making and behavior. The neurons had shorter branches, fewer connections, and reduced levels of a key growth factor called BDNF. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could affect brain structure and potentially cognitive function, raising concerns about the neurological effects of chronic microplastic ingestion in humans.
Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics Exposure on Neurogenesis: Are Thymidine Analogs a Good Option to Study Such Effects?
This review examines evidence for neurogenesis disruption from microplastic and nanoplastic exposure, investigating whether thymidine analogs used to track cell birth in neural tissue are confounded by plastic-induced proliferation signals and reviewing the broader evidence for MNP effects on neural development.
Nanoplastic exposure damages neural plasticity, cognitive abilities, and ecological adaptability of marine medaka Oryzias melastigma
Researchers exposed marine medaka fish to 50-nanometer polystyrene nanoplastics and found reduced cognitive abilities, with fish making faster but less accurate decisions in learning tasks. Exposed fish also showed altered social behavior, maintaining closer distances to each other while increasing reliance on shelters, indicating reduced ecological adaptability. Transcriptomic analysis revealed changes in genes involved in cell adhesion, signal transduction, and oxidative stress pathways.
Assessing the Impact of Microplastics on Brain Chemistry: The Need for a Comprehensive Policy Framework to Mitigate Toxicity
This review examines the growing evidence that microplastics can cross biological barriers, accumulate in brain tissue, and affect neurological function. Researchers found that microplastic exposure has been linked to neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation in the brain, with potential implications for neurotransmitter systems and cognitive function. The study calls for comprehensive regulatory measures to limit microplastic pollution and further research into the long-term neurological health effects.
The Effects of Nanoplastics on the Dopamine System of Cerebrocortical Neurons
Researchers studied how nanoplastics affect the dopamine system in brain neurons grown in the lab. They found that nanoplastics accumulated inside neurons in a dose-dependent manner and altered the levels of proteins involved in dopamine signaling. These results suggest that nanoplastic exposure could potentially interfere with brain chemistry, though more research is needed to understand what this means for human health.
Carboxyl-modified polystyrene microplastics induces neurotoxicity by affecting dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and GABA neurotransmission in Caenorhabditis elegans
Researchers used the nematode C. elegans as a model to study how carboxyl-modified polystyrene microplastics affect the nervous system. They found that even at low concentrations, these modified microplastics caused more severe neurotoxicity than unmodified polystyrene, disrupting dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and GABA neurotransmission. The study suggests that surface modifications on microplastics may significantly increase their potential to cause neurological harm.
Microplastics exposure affects neural development of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical spheroids
Researchers used lab-grown human brain tissue models to study how polystyrene microplastics affect early brain development. Short-term exposure stimulated cell growth, but longer exposure reduced cell survival and disrupted the expression of genes critical for brain tissue formation. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure could potentially interfere with embryonic brain development in a way that depends on both particle size and concentration.
Neurophysiological and Behavioral Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Organisms
Researchers reviewed evidence that micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic environments cross the blood-brain barrier, accumulate in neural tissues, and cause oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and disrupted neurotransmitter signaling, with downstream effects on locomotion, feeding, predator avoidance, and social behavior across multiple aquatic species.
Brain under siege: the role of micro and nanoplastics in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress
This review examines emerging evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in nervous tissue, potentially triggering neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Researchers summarized findings showing these particles may act as neurotoxicants that contribute to synaptic dysfunction and pathological changes in brain cells. The study highlights the need for further research into how chronic plastic particle exposure may affect central nervous system health over time.
Micro(nano)plastics in the brain: Epigenetic perturbations in progression to neurodegenerative diseases.
This review examined how micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) accumulate in the brain and induce epigenetic changes—including DNA methylation and histone modification—that may drive the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. MNPs were found to disrupt neuronal homeostasis through multiple epigenetic mechanisms after crossing the blood-brain barrier.
In vivo super-resolution of the brain – How to visualize the hidden nanoplasticity?
Researchers reviewed how super-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques — which allow scientists to image structures smaller than what conventional light microscopes can resolve — are being used to study the nanoscale structure and plasticity of brain synapses in living mice. These imaging advances help reveal how tiny changes in brain connections relate to learning and memory, using "nanoplasticity" in its neurological sense rather than as a reference to plastic pollution.
Direct Quantification of Nanoplastics Neurotoxicity by Single‐Vesicle Electrochemistry
Using single-vesicle electrochemistry, this study provides the first direct measurement of how nanoplastics disrupt neurotransmitter release at the level of individual nerve cells. Polystyrene nanoplastics taken up by neurons disrupted the cellular machinery controlling how vesicles fuse and release catecholamines (like dopamine and norepinephrine), reducing both the amount of neurotransmitter released and the frequency of release events. These findings are concerning because they suggest nanoplastic exposure could interfere with normal brain signaling at concentrations that don't immediately kill cells.
Exposure to Nanoplastics Disrupts Neurotransmitter Release in Rat Hippocampal Neurons
Researchers exposed rat hippocampal neurons to polystyrene nanoplastics and measured neurotransmitter release using electrophysiology. Nanoplastic exposure disrupted synaptic transmission by impairing calcium-dependent neurotransmitter release at hippocampal synapses, providing direct evidence of nanoplastic interference with the neural signaling machinery involved in memory and cognition.
Photoaged polystyrene microplastics result in neurotoxicity associated with neurotransmission and neurodevelopment in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio)
This study found that sunlight-aged microplastics are more toxic to zebrafish brains than fresh ones, disrupting nerve signaling chemicals and motor neuron development at very low concentrations. The findings are important because most microplastics in the environment have been weathered by sunlight, meaning their real-world neurotoxic effects may be worse than laboratory tests using fresh plastics would suggest.
‘Sensory and Motor Neuroscience’: Impacts of Thirteen Highly Cited Articles Published in This Section of Brain Sciences in 2024
This editorial summarizes the most highly cited articles published in the Sensory and Motor Neuroscience section of Brain Sciences in 2024, spanning topics in neurodegeneration and sensorimotor function. While not directly focused on microplastics, the paper provides context on neuroscience research trends relevant to understanding how environmental pollutants may affect the nervous system. The highlighted studies represent key contributions to understanding brain health and neurological function.
The plastic brain: neurotoxicity of micro- and nanoplastics
This review examines the emerging evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can reach the brain in both aquatic animals and mammals, potentially causing neurotoxic effects. Researchers found that exposure to these particles induces oxidative stress, inhibits key enzymes involved in nerve signaling, and alters neurotransmitter levels, which may contribute to behavioral changes. The study highlights that systematic research comparing different particle types, sizes, and exposure conditions is urgently needed to understand the neurological risks.
From environment to brain: the role of microplastics in neurobehavioral disorders
This review examines how microplastics enter the human body and cross the blood-brain barrier, linking their presence in neural tissue to neurobehavioral disorders through mechanisms including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of neurotransmitter systems.
Elucidating the Neurotoxicopathological Impact of Micro and Nanoplastics: Mechanistic Insights Into Oxidative Stress-mediated Neurodegeneration and Implications for Public Health in a Plastic Pervasive Era
Researchers reviewed the growing evidence linking micro- and nanoplastic exposure to neurodegenerative diseases, identifying oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, DNA damage, and protein misfolding as key mechanisms of harm to the brain. The review highlights critical knowledge gaps — especially around chronic low-dose exposure — and calls for better detection tools and public health policies to address the emerging neurological threat from plastic pollution.
Impact of micro- and nanoplastics exposure on human health: focus on neurological effects from ingestion
This review compiles emerging evidence on how ingested microplastics and nanoplastics may affect the brain and nervous system. Researchers found that these particles can disrupt gut bacteria, cross the blood-brain barrier, and accumulate in neural tissue, potentially triggering inflammation, oxidative stress, and protein changes linked to cognitive problems. The study highlights an urgent need for more human research, as initial findings have associated elevated plastic particle levels in brain tissue with neurological concerns.
Beyond genetics: can micro and nanoplastics induce epigenetic and gene-expression modifications?
This review gathers existing research on whether micro and nanoplastics can cause epigenetic changes, which are modifications that alter how genes work without changing the DNA itself. Although studies are still limited, the evidence so far shows that both short-term and long-term plastic particle exposure can trigger these gene-level changes in various organisms. This is concerning because epigenetic changes can potentially be passed to future generations and may contribute to disease.