Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Melatonin Alleviates the Damage of Polystyrene Microplastics to Porcine Oocytes by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Damage, and Regulating Autophagy and Apoptosis Levels

Researchers investigated whether the antioxidant melatonin could protect porcine oocytes from damage caused by polystyrene microplastics. The study found that microplastics at 30 micrograms per milliliter significantly impaired oocyte maturation, but melatonin treatment helped alleviate this damage by reducing oxidative stress, protecting mitochondrial function, and regulating autophagy and cell death pathways.

2025 Animals 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoparticles Cause Sex‐Specific Toxicity in Male Zebrafish, Which Can Be Mitigated by Melatonin

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene nanoparticles for 14 days and found significant reproductive toxicity that was more pronounced in males, including reduced gonadal size and disrupted hormone signaling along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Co-treatment with melatonin largely reversed these harmful effects by protecting against oxidative damage. The study suggests that melatonin may offer a potential protective strategy against nanoplastic-induced reproductive harm.

2026 Environmental Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Melatonin prevents the transgenerational toxicity of nanoplastics in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

This zebrafish study found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused harmful effects that passed from exposed parents to their offspring, including developmental problems and oxidative stress in the next generation. The hormone melatonin was able to protect against this transgenerational damage when given alongside the nanoplastic exposure. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure could affect not just the people exposed but potentially their children, and that antioxidants like melatonin might offer some protection.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin alleviates oxidative stress damage in mouse testes induced by bisphenol A

Researchers investigated whether melatonin could alleviate oxidative stress damage caused by bisphenol A (BPA) exposure in mouse testicular tissue. The study found that melatonin treatment reduced BPA-induced oxidative damage and improved sperm quality indicators, suggesting a potential protective role against the reproductive effects of this common plastic-associated chemical.

2024 Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Dysregulation in Lung Tissues of Offspring Rats Exposed to Prenatal Polystyrene Microplastics: Effects of Melatonin Treatment

Researchers found that rat pups exposed to polystyrene microplastics before birth showed significant oxidative stress and metabolic disruption in their lung tissues. The prenatal exposure altered nucleic acid metabolism and amino acid profiles in the lungs of newborn pups. Encouragingly, treatment with melatonin significantly improved lung function and reduced tissue damage in the affected offspring.

2024 Antioxidants 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastic exposure induces excessive mitophagy by activating AMPK/ULK1 pathway in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells and dopaminergic neurons in vivo

Researchers found that 50-nanometer polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate in brain cells and their mitochondria, causing Parkinson's disease-like damage in both lab-grown nerve cells and mice. The nanoplastics triggered excessive mitophagy, a process where the cell destroys too many of its own mitochondria, leading to energy loss and nerve cell death. Melatonin treatment helped protect against this damage, suggesting a potential preventive strategy.

2023 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 125 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induce apoptosis, autophagy, and steroidogenesis disruption in granulosa cells to reduce oocyte quality and fertility by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway in female mice

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles under 1 micrometer) impair egg cell quality in female mice by damaging the ovarian support cells that help eggs mature, triggering cell death and disrupting hormone production. These findings raise important questions about the potential reproductive risks of nanoplastic exposure in women.

2024 Journal of Nanobiotechnology 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin reduces nanoplastic uptake, translocation, and toxicity in wheat

Researchers investigated whether melatonin could reduce the harmful effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on wheat plants. They found that melatonin application significantly decreased nanoplastic uptake by roots and their transport to shoots by regulating aquaporin gene expression and activating antioxidant defense systems. The study suggests that melatonin may serve as a protective agent to help mitigate nanoplastic toxicity in crops.

2021 Journal of Pineal Research 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin attenuates polystyrene microplastics induced motor neurodevelopmental defect in zebrafish (Danio rerio) by activating nrf2 - isl2a Axis

Researchers found that melatonin protected zebrafish embryos from polystyrene microplastic-induced motor neuron developmental defects by activating the Nrf2-Isl2a signaling pathway, reducing oxidative stress and restoring normal motor neuron axon development.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental microplastic accumulation exacerbates liver ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat: Protective effects of melatonin

Researchers found that environmental microplastic exposure worsened liver ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats, while melatonin treatment provided protective effects by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation caused by the combined insult.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induced female reproductive toxicity in mice

Researchers exposed female mice to polystyrene microplastics for 35 days and found the particles accumulated in multiple organs including the ovaries, where they caused inflammation and oxidative stress. The microplastics reduced egg quality by lowering protective antioxidants, disrupting mitochondrial function, and altering calcium levels in the cells. This study provides evidence that microplastic exposure could harm female fertility by directly damaging the ovaries and the eggs they produce.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 403 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the female reproductive system in mice: Implications for ovarian function and follicular development

Researchers exposed female mice to polystyrene nanoplastics orally for 29 days and examined the effects on their reproductive systems. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted estrous cycles, impaired follicle development, and altered hormone levels in a dose-dependent manner. The study suggests that nanoplastics, due to their extremely small size, may cross biological barriers and accumulate in reproductive tissues, raising concerns about potential effects on fertility.

2025 Reproductive Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin Alleviates Intestinal Barrier Damaging Effects Induced by Polyethylene Microplastics in Albino Rats

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics damaged the intestinal barrier in rats by causing inflammation, reducing protective mucus, and disrupting the tight junctions between gut cells. The damage was more severe at higher doses and included changes in gut bacteria composition. The study also found that melatonin treatment helped protect against these intestinal effects, suggesting potential avenues for reducing microplastic-related gut damage.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Implication of nano and microplastics in reproduction: understanding oocyte vulnerability

This review examined how nano- and microplastics (NMPs) compromise oocyte quality and female reproductive function, finding that NMPs trigger oxidative stress, disrupt meiotic spindle assembly, impair mitochondrial function, and cause DNA damage in eggs. The findings identified the oocyte as particularly vulnerable to NMP exposure, with implications for fertility and reproductive health.

2024 Research Innovation Views Embryology Reproduction.
Article Tier 2

Melatonin Supplementation during In Vitro Maturation of Porcine Oocytes Alleviates Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Induced by Imidacloprid Exposure

Researchers found that the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid adversely affected porcine oocyte maturation by increasing oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and apoptosis. The study demonstrated that melatonin supplementation during in vitro maturation was able to restore oocyte quality and embryo development outcomes compromised by imidacloprid exposure, suggesting melatonin has protective properties against pesticide-induced reproductive toxicity.

2023 Animals 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The ovarian-related effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on human ovarian granulosa cells and female mice

This study tested the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on both human ovarian cells in the lab and on female mice. The nanoplastics accumulated in ovarian tissue, caused cell death, disrupted hormone levels, and reduced egg quality and fertility in mice. These findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure could threaten female reproductive health by damaging the ovaries.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polystyrene nanoplastics on in vitro maturation of pig cumulus-encosed oocytes

Researchers exposed pig egg cells to polystyrene nanoplastics during laboratory maturation and found that while the eggs still completed their basic development stages, the nanoplastics significantly increased harmful reactive oxygen species levels. This oxidative stress reduced the quality of resulting embryos, as indicated by fewer cells per embryo, suggesting nanoplastic exposure could be a concern for reproductive health.

2025 Research in Veterinary Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin counteracts polyethylene microplastics induced adreno-cortical damage in male albino rats

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics damaged the adrenal glands of male rats, disrupting cortisol production and reducing genes needed for hormone synthesis. This is the first study to specifically examine microplastic effects on the adrenal glands, which are critical for the body's stress response. The study also showed that melatonin, a natural hormone, provided significant protection against this damage, suggesting a possible way to counteract microplastic-related endocrine disruption.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles for mouse ovary and cultured human granulosa cells

Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene nanoparticles on female reproductive health using both mouse ovaries and human granulosa cell cultures. They found that nanoparticle exposure damaged ovarian tissue, reduced egg quality, and triggered cell death through oxidative stress and inflammation pathways. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure may pose risks to female fertility, though more research is needed to confirm effects at real-world exposure levels.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics impair mouse oocyte maturation by interfering with fatty acid oxidation

Researchers exposed female mice to polystyrene microplastics via oral dosing for 35 days and found that high doses impair oocyte maturation by upregulating SIRT4 and suppressing fatty acid oxidation, with downstream effects including spindle abnormalities, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and accelerated ovarian aging.

2026 Environmental Sciences Europe