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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Environmental enrichment enhances patterning and remodeling of synaptic nanoarchitecture 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 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.
Decision letter: Environmental enrichment enhances patterning and remodeling of synaptic nanoarchitecture as revealed by STED nanoscopy
This is a decision letter from peer reviewers evaluating a neuroscience paper on synaptic plasticity and environmental enrichment. It is not related to microplastics or environmental contamination.
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.
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.
Imaging dendritic spines in the hippocampus of a living mouse by 3D-stimulated emission depletion microscopy
This paper is not about microplastics; it presents an in vivo 3D super-resolution microscopy methodology for imaging dendritic spines in the mouse hippocampus.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stable but not rigid: Chronic in vivo STED nanoscopy reveals extensive remodeling of spines, indicating multiple drivers of plasticity
Researchers used chronic in vivo STED nanoscopy to track dendritic spine geometry in mouse neocortex over one month, finding that spine heads and necks undergo extensive, largely uncorrelated remodeling even without induced plasticity. The results indicate that multiple independent mechanisms drive spine structural dynamics beyond LTP-dependent pathways.
Imaging dendritic spines in the hippocampus of a living mouse by 3D-STED microscopy
Researchers extended 3D STED super-resolution microscopy to image dendritic spines in the hippocampus of living mice, achieving nanoscale resolution in three dimensions within deep brain tissue and opening new possibilities for studying synaptic structures in vivo.
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.
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.
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.
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.
White matter hyperintensities and microplastics
Researchers aligned ante-mortem and post-mortem brain MRI scans and found large amounts of plastic particles in brain regions showing white matter hyperintensities, which are associated with small vessel disease. Using a novel optical imaging approach, they identified the cellular locations of these plastics in areas with vascular injury and amyloid plaques. The study raises important questions about whether microplastics in the brain contribute to or result from pre-existing vascular damage in people with cognitive impairment.
Toxicological Research on Nano and Microplastics in Environmental Pollution: Current Advances and Future Directions
This review summarizes existing research on how nano- and microplastics from our massive global plastic production enter aquatic environments, absorb harmful chemicals, and move through food chains into living organisms. Studies show these particles can cause brain damage, disrupt metabolism, trigger inflammation, and produce harmful oxidative stress in aquatic species, with microplastics even detected in commercial fish that people eat.
The plastic brain part II: new insights into micro- and nanoplastics neurotoxicity
This systematic review evaluated neurotoxicity evidence from studies on micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) exposure, covering a rapidly growing body of literature. The authors found consistent evidence of neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and behavioral disruption across multiple model systems, though dose-response relationships and human relevance remain areas of uncertainty.
Crossing barriers – tracking micro- and nanoplastic pathways into the human brain
Researchers tracked potential pathways by which micro- and nanoplastics may enter the human brain, examining both in vitro cell models and post-mortem brain tissue. They found that human monocytes rapidly internalized polystyrene particles into endocytic vesicles and mitochondria, and detected plastic particles in brain tissue samples, providing evidence that nanoplastics may be capable of crossing brain barriers.