Papers

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Article Tier 2

Acute Toxicity Assessment of Orally Administered Microplastic Particles in Adult Male Wistar Rats

Researchers gave adult male rats a single oral dose of microplastics made from PET water bottles and found that even this one-time exposure altered markers of liver, heart, and kidney function. Higher doses also reduced food intake and increased signs of oxidative stress, which is cell damage caused by harmful molecules. This study suggests that even brief microplastic exposure could trigger early changes in organ function, raising questions about the cumulative effect of daily human exposure through food and water.

2024 Toxics 11 citations
Article Tier 2

In vivo test of acute exposure of polyethylene microplastics on kidney and liver of Rattus norvegicus Wistar strain rats

Researchers exposed male rats to a single dose of polyethylene microplastics and monitored them for 14 days, finding significant changes in body weight, elevated markers of kidney and liver stress in blood tests, and visible tissue abnormalities under microscopy. The results indicate that even short-term, high-dose microplastic exposure can cause measurable organ damage in mammals.

2024 Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Exposure Impairs Weight Gain, Reproduction, Blood Glucose Levels, and Organ Health in Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Rats orally exposed to microplastic solutions at 1–10% concentrations over 28 days showed dose-dependent impairment of weight gain, reproductive function, blood glucose regulation, and organ health compared to controls—providing mammalian in vivo evidence that microplastic ingestion causes systemic physiological harm.

2025 Journal of Experimental and Laboratory Medicine.
Article Tier 2

Dose‐Dependent Toxicological Effects of Polyvinyl Chloride and Polystyrene Microplastics on Wistar Albino Rats

Researchers fed rats PVC and polystyrene microplastics at different doses for eight weeks and observed significant changes including weight loss, elevated blood glucose, increased cholesterol and liver enzymes, and signs of oxidative stress. The study suggests that oral microplastic exposure at these levels can cause dose-dependent toxicological effects across multiple organ systems in mammals.

2026 Journal of Applied Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-induced gut microbiota and serum metabolic disruption in Sprague-Dawley rats

Researchers exposed rats to a mixture of common microplastic types at concentrations reflecting real-world human exposure and found significant disruptions to gut bacteria and blood metabolites. The microplastic mixture altered the balance of beneficial and harmful gut microbes and changed metabolic pathways related to amino acids and lipids. The study suggests that everyday microplastic exposure from food and water may affect mammalian gut health and metabolism.

2023 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Metabolism: Physiological Responses in Mice Following Ingestion

Researchers found that mice orally exposed to microplastic microspheres showed changes in lipid metabolism and other metabolic pathways, with particles detected in tissues throughout the body. The effects were more pronounced when mice were exposed to mixed microplastic types compared to polystyrene alone, suggesting that real-world mixtures of microplastics may have broader physiological impacts.

2024 Environmental Health Perspectives 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and Tissue Damage After a Single Microplastic Exposure in Mice

Researchers administered fluorescent microplastics to mice by oral gavage and tracked their distribution through the body over several hours. They found direct evidence of microplastic particles in the blood, lungs, brain, kidneys, liver, and spleen, with fluorescence peaking at two hours after exposure. Histological examination revealed mild tissue damage including congestion in the liver and lungs, providing evidence that ingested microplastics can enter the bloodstream and reach multiple organs.

2025 Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. D, Histology and Histochemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The risk of short-term microplastic exposure on female reproductive function: A rat model study

Researchers investigated the effects of short-term microplastic exposure on female reproductive function in rats and found that even brief exposure disrupted hormone levels and altered ovarian and uterine tissue. Higher concentrations of microplastics led to thinning of the uterine lining and changes in steroid hormone receptor expression. The study suggests that even intermittent microplastic exposure may pose risks to reproductive health.

2025 NanoImpact 3 citations
Article Tier 2

PET-microplastics trigger endothelial glycocalyx loss via ER stress and ROS unleashing IL-1β-driven SMC switching and early aortic structural impairment

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles from bottles and food packaging can damage blood vessels when consumed regularly. In lab rats, these microplastics caused harmful changes to the cells lining arteries, which could lead to heart disease over time. This research suggests that plastic pollution may pose a direct threat to our cardiovascular health, though more studies are needed to confirm the effects in humans.

2026 Journal of Nanobiotechnology
Article Tier 2

Manifestation of polystyrene microplastic accumulation in tissues of vital organs including brain with histological and behaviour analysis on Swiss albino mice

Researchers exposed rats to polystyrene microplastics and examined accumulation in vital organs including the brain, liver, kidney, and gut, finding tissue-specific deposition that was associated with behavioral changes and organ-level pathological effects.

2023 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Evidence on Invasion of Blood, Adipose Tissues, Nervous System and Reproductive System of Mice After a Single Oral Exposure: Nanoplastics versus Microplastics.

Researchers found that after a single oral exposure in mice, nanoplastics were rapidly absorbed into the blood, accumulated in fat tissues, and crossed both the blood-brain and blood-testis barriers. The study demonstrated that the distribution and behavior of plastic particles in mammals is strongly dependent on particle size, with nanoplastics showing substantially greater tissue penetration than microplastics.

2022 PubMed 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Hematological consequences of polyethylene microplastics toxicity in male rats: Oxidative stress, genetic, and epigenetic links

Researchers gave male rats different doses of polyethylene microplastics orally for 35 days and found significant damage to blood cells and the blood-forming system. Higher doses caused oxidative stress, DNA damage, and changes in gene expression patterns related to blood cell production. The study suggests that chronic microplastic ingestion could harm the blood system through both genetic and epigenetic pathways.

2023 Toxicology 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Invisible but Insidious Effects of Microplastics

Researchers exposed rats to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics over two months and found that chronic ingestion negatively affected cognitive functions including spatial learning and memory, even without obvious changes in standard blood tests. In rats prone to age-related conditions, microplastics also contributed to the progression of cataracts and retinal degeneration. The study suggests that long-term microplastic exposure may accelerate aspects of the aging process.

2024 Molecules 8 citations
Review Tier 2

Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects

This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics are found throughout the environment and in human samples, entering the body through food, air, and skin contact. Lab studies in cells and animals show microplastics can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, immune reactions, brain toxicity, and reproductive harm, and early human health data links microplastic exposure to several chronic diseases.

2023 Environment & Health 519 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of polystyrene foam in different doses on the blood parameters and relative mass of internal organs of white mice

Researchers fed white mice different doses of polystyrene foam over 42 days and found dose-dependent changes in blood biochemical parameters and relative organ masses, providing evidence that ingested microplastics affect metabolism and internal organ function in mammals.

2022 Biosystems Diversity 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral Exposure to Nylon-11 and Polystyrene Nanoplastics During Early-Life in Rats

Researchers exposed rat pups to nylon and polystyrene nanoplastics during early life to assess potential developmental effects. They found that while the nanoplastics did not cause overt toxicity at the doses tested, the particles did reach various organs and some subtle biological changes were observed. The study highlights the need for more research on how nanoplastic exposure during critical growth periods may affect long-term health.

2025 Nanomaterials 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Sub-chronic exposure of Oreochromis niloticus to environmentally relevant concentrations of smaller microplastics: Accumulation and toxico-physiological responses

Researchers exposed Nile tilapia to low, environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics for 14 days and found the particles accumulated in multiple organs including the brain, liver, and reproductive tissues. The fish showed changes in blood chemistry, increased stress hormones, and signs of liver and kidney dysfunction. These results suggest that even realistic levels of microplastic pollution can cause measurable physiological harm in fish.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 42 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

Kidney and Liver Disorders Due to Microplastic Exposure: Chronic in Vivo Study in Male White Rats

Male white rats were chronically exposed to microplastics (particles 5 mm or smaller) to assess kidney and liver toxicity, with exposure resulting from environmental weathering and ultraviolet irradiation of plastic materials. The study found measurable histopathological and biochemical damage in both organs, confirming that long-term microplastic exposure causes organ-level injury in mammals.

2024 Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat
Article Tier 2

A single oral exposure to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics causes mild metabolic and gastrointestinal disruption: dose and sex determinants

Researchers gave male and female rats a single oral dose of PET microplastics derived from cryomilled nurdles and monitored metabolic rate, gene expression, and blood biomarkers for 18 hours, finding sex- and dose-dependent effects including decreased metabolic rate, altered duodenal gene expression in males, and elevated LDL in females, suggesting mild but measurable systemic disruption.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

A single oral exposure to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics causes mild metabolic and gastrointestinal disruption: dose and sex determinants

Researchers gave male and female rats a single oral dose of PET microplastics derived from cryomilled nurdles and monitored metabolic rate, gene expression, and blood biomarkers for 18 hours, finding sex- and dose-dependent effects including decreased metabolic rate, altered duodenal gene expression in males, and elevated LDL in females, suggesting mild but measurable systemic disruption.

2026 Drug and Chemical Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics exposure altered hematological and lipid profiles as well as liver and kidney function parameters in albino rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Researchers fed albino rats different concentrations of microplastics for 28 days and measured changes in blood, liver, kidney, and lipid profiles. They found dose-dependent effects including reduced immune cell counts suggesting immunosuppression, lower red blood cell levels indicating anemia, and altered liver and kidney function markers. The study provides evidence that microplastic ingestion may affect multiple organ systems and blood health in a way that worsens with higher exposure levels.

2024 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellular and Systemic Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Mammals—What We Know So Far

This review summarized known cellular and systemic effects of micro- and nanoplastics in mammals, finding that while ingestion is common, knowledge of health impacts remains limited, with oxidative stress and inflammation as the most reported biological responses.

2023 Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

In Vivo Tissue Distribution of Microplastics and the Systemic Metabolic Changes After Gastrointestinal Exposure in Mice

Mice exposed to microplastics via the gastrointestinal route showed systemic distribution of particles to multiple organs and measurable changes in metabolic pathways, providing early in vivo evidence of systemic impacts from plastic ingestion.

2024 Physiology 1 citations