Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics of adult male mice fed a normal or western-style diet: impact on gut and gut-liver axis homeostasis

Researchers orally exposed adult male mice to polyethylene microplastics under both normal and high-fat diets, assessing effects on the gastrointestinal tract. The study found that diet influences microplastic-induced gut changes, with greater effects observed in animals fed a western-style high-fat diet.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Effects of frying on microplastics load in fish and implications on health

Researchers investigated the effects of polyethylene microplastics on gut microbiota composition in mice fed a high-fat diet, finding that microplastic exposure altered microbial diversity and increased gut permeability. Co-exposure with a high-fat diet amplified metabolic disruption.

2022 Food Frontiers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics of Mice on a Normal or High-Fat Diet and Intestinal and Metabolic Outcomes

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics caused metabolic problems like diabetes and fatty liver disease in mice, but only when combined with a high-fat diet. The high-fat diet appeared to damage the gut lining enough to allow microplastics to deposit in the intestinal wall, triggering inflammation that altered nutrient absorption. This suggests that people with poor diets may be more vulnerable to the harmful effects of microplastic exposure.

2023 Environmental Health Perspectives 115 citations
Article Tier 2

Perturbation of gut microbiota plays an important role in micro/nanoplastics-induced gut barrier dysfunction

Researchers investigated how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt gut barrier function in mice, finding that different surface chemistries caused varying levels of damage. The study suggests that these plastic particles harm the gut by altering the gut microbiome, which then leads to inflammation and weakening of the intestinal barrier that normally keeps harmful substances out of the body.

2021 Nanoscale 198 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of polystyrene microplastic on the gut barrier, microbiota and metabolism of mice

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics for six weeks and found that the particles accumulated in the gut, reduced protective mucus secretion, and damaged the intestinal barrier. The microplastics also significantly altered the composition of gut bacteria, decreasing beneficial species and increasing harmful ones. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion could disrupt gut health in mammals by simultaneously impairing the physical barrier and reshaping the microbiome.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 986 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastic Exposure on Blood Glucose Levels and Gut Microbiota: Differential Effects under Normal or High-Fat Diet Conditions

Mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics showed changes in blood sugar levels and gut bacteria, with the effects being worse when combined with a high-fat diet. The microplastics disrupted the balance of beneficial gut bacteria and increased markers associated with type 2 diabetes. This study suggests that microplastic exposure could contribute to blood sugar problems in people, especially those who already eat an unhealthy diet.

2024 Metabolites 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exposure increases the disruption of intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota homeostasis during obesity and aging

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic exposure worsened intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice on high-fat diets, with the combination of obesity and microplastic exposure producing greater gut permeability and inflammation than either factor alone, suggesting compounding risks in metabolically vulnerable individuals.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics differ in particle-mucus interactions: The sight on rheological properties, barrier dysfunction and microbiota dysbiosis

Researchers compared how micro- and nanoplastics interact with the protective mucus layer lining the intestines and found that nanoplastics were wrapped in mucus while microplastics were not. Both particle sizes disrupted the gut barrier and altered the gut microbiome in mice at environmentally relevant doses, but through different mechanisms. The study suggests that the mucus layer, a key line of defense in the gut, responds differently depending on plastic particle size, with implications for understanding how ingested plastics may affect digestive health.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics exacerbates the effects of a Western-style diet on the digestive tract of adult male mice

Researchers investigated how oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics interacts with a Western-style diet to affect the digestive tract of mice over 90 days. The study found that microplastics exacerbated diet-related intestinal disruption, suggesting that dietary context plays an important role in determining the health impact of microplastic ingestion.

2026 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

Exposure to polyethylene microplastics alters immature gut microbiome in an infant in vitro gut model

Researchers used an artificial infant gut model to study how chronic exposure to polyethylene microplastics affects the developing intestinal microbiome. They found that microplastics shifted gut microbial composition, increasing the abundance of potentially harmful bacteria such as Enterobacteriaceae while decreasing beneficial butyrate production. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion may disrupt the gut microbiome of infants, though no significant damage to the intestinal barrier was observed.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 53 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 966 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics of adult male mice fed a normal or western-style diet: impact on gut and gut-liver axis homeostasis

Researchers exposed adult male mice to polyethylene microplastics on normal or Western diet for 90 days, examining synergistic effects between plastic and dietary stress on gut and liver health. Microplastic exposure disrupted gut barrier integrity, altered the microbiome, and affected liver homeostasis, with some effects differing between normal and Western diet groups.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Gut Check: Microbiota and Obesity in Mice Exposed to Polystyrene Microspheres

Researchers found that gut microbiota appeared to play a mediating role in the obesity outcomes observed in mice fed manufactured polystyrene microspheres, suggesting that microplastic-induced alterations to the gut microbiome may be a mechanism linking microplastic exposure to metabolic dysfunction and weight gain.

2024 Environmental Health Perspectives
Article Tier 2

High-fat diet disrupts the gut microbiome, leading to inflammation, damage to tight junctions, and apoptosis and necrosis in Nyctereutes procyonoides intestines

Researchers found that a high-fat diet disrupted gut bacteria, caused intestinal inflammation, and triggered cell death in the intestines of raccoon dogs. While this study focuses on diet rather than microplastics, the biological pathways it examines, including gut microbiome disruption, inflammation, and damage to the intestinal lining, are the same pathways through which microplastics are known to cause harm. The findings reinforce that a compromised gut may be more vulnerable to additional stressors like microplastic exposure.

2024 Microbiology Spectrum 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-Term Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Doses of Large Polystyrene Microplastics Disturbs Lipid Homeostasis via Bowel Function Interference

Researchers exposed mice to environmentally relevant doses of large polystyrene microplastics in their diet for 21 weeks and found significant disruptions to fat metabolism and gut bacterial communities. The microplastics interfered with bowel function, which in turn altered how the body processes and stores lipids. The study provides evidence that even low-level, long-term microplastic exposure through food may affect metabolic health in mammals.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics alters gut morphology, immune response, and microbiota composition in mice

Researchers fed mice polyethylene microplastics of two sizes commonly found in human stool for six weeks and examined the effects on gut health. The study found that microplastic exposure altered gut structure, disrupted immune cell function, changed gene expression related to inflammation and gut barrier integrity, and shifted the composition of gut bacteria. Mice exposed to both sizes simultaneously showed the most severe effects, suggesting that real-world exposure to mixed microplastic sizes may compound the damage.

2022 Environmental Research 110 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

The impact of microplastics on the mice gut microbiome: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis pools data from multiple mouse studies to assess how ingested microplastics affect gut bacteria. It found that microplastic exposure can alter the balance of the gut microbiome, which is important because gut health is closely tied to immune function, digestion, and overall well-being.

2025
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic exposure induces insulin resistance in mice via dysbacteriosis and pro-inflammation

Researchers found that exposing mice to polystyrene microplastics induced insulin resistance regardless of whether the animals were on a normal or high-fat diet. The study identified disruption of gut bacteria and increased intestinal inflammation as key mechanisms driving the metabolic changes. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure may contribute to metabolic health issues by altering the gut microbiome and triggering chronic inflammation.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 121 citations
Article Tier 2

Association between microplastics exposure and gut microbiota and metabolites in older adults: A cross-sectional study

Researchers analyzed fecal samples from 45 older adults to assess the relationship between microplastic exposure and gut microbiota. They found an average of 70 microplastic particles per gram of feces, primarily PVC, butadiene rubber, and polyethylene, and observed that microplastic exposure was associated with changes in gut microbial diversity and metabolite levels. The study suggests that microplastics may influence gut health in older adults by altering bacterial community composition and metabolic pathways.

2025 Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Continuous oral exposure to micro- and nanoplastics induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, intestinal barrier and immune dysfunction in adult mice

Researchers fed mice micro- and nanoplastics at environmentally relevant levels and found significant gut damage, including disrupted gut bacteria, weakened intestinal barriers, and reduced immune function. The ratio of beneficial to harmful gut bacteria shifted, and immune cells in the gut decreased. Importantly, the duration of exposure and the size of plastic particles mattered more than the amount consumed, suggesting even low-level long-term exposure could harm gut health.

2023 Environment International 114 citations