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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Polystyrene microplastics induce an immunometabolic active state in macrophages
ClearPolystyrene microplastics induce an immunometabolic active state in macrophages
Researchers investigated how macrophages, the immune cells that act as first-line defense in the gut and lungs, respond metabolically to polystyrene microplastic particles. The study found that phagocytosis of microplastics induced an immunometabolic active state in macrophages, suggesting that microplastic exposure may alter immune cell metabolism in ways relevant to understanding potential health effects.
Toxicological profiling of polystyrene microplastics in raw 264.7 macrophages: Linking microplastic exposure to immune cell impairment
Researchers exposed immune cells called macrophages to polystyrene microplastics and found that the cells rapidly absorbed the particles within two hours. Higher concentrations caused mitochondrial damage, disrupted cellular recycling processes, and triggered inflammation-related signaling. The study provides evidence that microplastics can impair the function of key immune cells responsible for defending the body against foreign threats.
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.
Polystyrene microplastics induce activation and cell death of neutrophils through strong adherence and engulfment
Researchers found that neutrophils (key immune cells that fight infections) strongly bind to and swallow polystyrene microplastics, mistaking them for bacteria. This triggers inflammation and eventually kills the neutrophils, and the same response was confirmed in both mouse and human immune cells. The findings suggest that microplastics accumulating in the body could weaken immune defenses by destroying these important infection-fighting cells.
Microplastics induced apoptosis in macrophages by promoting ROS generation and altering metabolic profiles
This study found that polystyrene microplastics trigger cell death in macrophages, key immune cells that serve as the body's first line of defense against harmful substances. Smaller microplastics (0.5 micrometers) were more damaging than larger ones because they can enter the cells directly, where they generate harmful reactive oxygen species and disrupt normal cell metabolism.
Polystyrene nanoplastics of different particle sizes regulate the polarization of pro-inflammatory macrophages
Researchers exposed immune cells called macrophages to polystyrene nanoplastics of two different sizes (50 nm and 500 nm) and found that both sizes pushed the cells toward a pro-inflammatory state at higher concentrations. This means the immune cells shifted toward producing inflammation signals rather than healing signals after nanoplastic exposure. Since macrophages are a key defense in the gut, this inflammatory response could help explain how microplastics contribute to intestinal inflammation.
Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics impairs lipid metabolism in human and murine macrophages in vitro
Researchers exposed human and mouse macrophages to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the particles disrupted lipid metabolism in these immune cells. The study observed that nanoplastic exposure altered how macrophages process and store fats, which could affect their ability to function properly. These findings suggest that nanoplastic accumulation in immune cells may interfere with normal metabolic processes at the cellular level.
Ingestion of micro- and nanoplastic perturbs tissue homeostasis and macrophage core functions
Researchers fed mice polystyrene particles chronically and found that micro- and nanoplastics breached intestinal barriers and accumulated in multiple organs, disrupting tissue homeostasis and impairing core macrophage functions including phagocytosis and inflammatory regulation.
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.
Polystyrene micro and nano-particles induce metabolic rewiring in normal human colon cells: A risk factor for human health
Researchers exposed normal human colon cells to polystyrene micro and nanoplastic particles and observed significant metabolic changes in the cells. The study found that these plastic particles altered energy metabolism and cellular pathways in ways that could increase vulnerability to disease. These findings raise concerns that routine ingestion of microplastics through contaminated food may affect normal intestinal cell function in humans.
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.
Polystyrene Microplastics Exacerbate Systemic Inflammation in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics significantly worsened inflammation and metabolic problems in obese mice fed a high-fat diet. The microplastics were found throughout the body including the brain, where they activated immune cells in the hypothalamus, a region that controls appetite and metabolism. This study suggests that microplastic exposure could be an overlooked factor contributing to the worsening of obesity-related health problems like insulin resistance and chronic inflammation.
Polystyrene microplastics aggravate inflammatory damage in mice with intestinal immune imbalance
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics caused significantly worse inflammatory damage in mice that already had compromised intestinal immune systems compared to healthy mice. The microplastics increased inflammatory markers, disrupted gut bacteria, and caused more severe tissue damage in the vulnerable animals. The study suggests that individuals with pre-existing gut health issues may be more susceptible to the harmful effects of microplastic exposure.
Effect of micro- and nanoplastic particles on human macrophages
This study is the first to visualize polystyrene micro- and nanoparticles inside primary human immune cells (macrophages) from actual blood donors, showing that the particles increase cell death and generate harmful reactive oxygen species. The findings provide direct evidence that human immune cells react to plastic particles in ways that could contribute to inflammation and health problems.
Prolonged oral ingestion of microplastics induced inflammation in the liver tissues of C57BL/6J mice through polarization of macrophages and increased infiltration of natural killer cells
Researchers found that prolonged oral ingestion of polystyrene microplastics caused liver inflammation in mice by polarizing macrophages and increasing natural killer cell infiltration, revealing how microplastics disrupt the liver immune microenvironment.
Potential toxicity of polystyrene microplastic particles
Researchers investigated the cellular-level toxicity of polystyrene microplastic particles and found that they stimulated immune responses in a size- and concentration-dependent manner. The particles triggered the production of cytokines and chemokines, which are signaling molecules involved in inflammation. The study challenges the common assumption that microplastics pose minimal risk to human health, suggesting they may have immunological effects upon direct contact with cells.
Oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics alters the intestinal environment and metabolic outcomes in mice
In a mouse study, oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics caused fatty liver disease and abnormal blood lipid levels even without prior gut leakiness. The microplastics triggered intestinal inflammation through immune cells, disrupted gut bacteria, and altered how the body processes nutrients. These results suggest that swallowing microplastics could contribute to metabolic problems and liver disease in humans.
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.
Polystyrene microplastics induce gut microbiota dysbiosis and hepatic lipid metabolism disorder in mice
Researchers fed mice two sizes of polystyrene microplastics for five weeks and observed significant disruption of gut bacteria and changes in liver fat metabolism. The microplastics decreased mucus production in the gut and shifted the balance of key bacterial populations at multiple taxonomic levels. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion can trigger gut microbiota imbalance in mammals, which may in turn affect metabolic health.
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.
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.
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.
Microplastic consumption induces inflammatory signatures in the colon and prolongs a viral arthritis
Researchers found that mice consuming polystyrene microplastics through drinking water developed mild inflammatory changes in the colon, even though the particles were not detected in internal organs. When the mice were infected with chikungunya virus, those consuming microplastics experienced significantly prolonged arthritic swelling associated with elevated immune cell activity. The study suggests that microplastic consumption may subtly alter gut and immune function in ways that worsen inflammatory responses.
Influence of Microplastics on Morphological Manifestations of Experimental Acute Colitis
Researchers fed polystyrene microplastics to mice for six weeks and found that healthy mice developed changes in their colon lining, including altered mucus composition and immune cell populations. When mice with experimentally induced colitis also consumed microplastics, their intestinal inflammation was significantly more severe. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may worsen inflammatory bowel conditions.