Papers

20 results
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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

Association of gut microbiota composition and function with a senescence-accelerated mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease using 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing analysis

This study compared gut microbiota composition between a senescence-accelerated mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and normal aging mice, finding distinct differences in microbial communities and functional profiles. While not directly about microplastics, understanding gut microbiome disruption is relevant to research on how microplastic-associated chemical exposures may affect neurodegenerative disease risk.

2018 Aging 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics promotes HFD-induced obesity in mice through exacerbating microbiota dysbiosis

Researchers found that long-term polystyrene microplastic exposure worsened high-fat-diet-induced obesity in mice by exacerbating gut microbiota dysbiosis, suggesting microplastic ingestion may amplify metabolic disease risk through disruption of the gut microbiome.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-Term Exposure to Polystyrene Microspheres and High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice: Evaluating a Role for Microbiota Dysbiosis.

A long-term mouse study examined how chronic exposure to polystyrene microspheres interacts with a high-fat diet to affect obesity-related outcomes, finding that microplastics worsened metabolic disruption and fat accumulation compared to diet alone. The results raise concern that microplastic exposure may be an environmental factor contributing to the global obesity epidemic.

2024 Environmental health perspectives
Article Tier 2

Effects of partial reduction of polystyrene micro-nanoplastics on the immunity, gut microbiota and metabolome of mice

This mouse study examined whether partial gut degradation of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affects immune markers, gut microbiota, and metabolome, finding that nanoplastic exposure produced distinct immune and microbial changes compared to microplastic exposure. Notably, different exposure doses shifted the key bacterial species stabilizing gut microbial networks.

2023 Chemosphere 16 citations
Article Tier 2

In vivo exposure of mixed microplastic particles in mice and its impacts on the murine gut microbiome and metabolome

Mice were orally exposed to a mixed polystyrene, polyethylene, and PLGA microplastic suspension for several weeks and gut microbiome composition and metabolomics were analyzed. Mixed microplastic exposure shifted the gut microbiome toward dysbiotic profiles in both male and female mice, with accompanying metabolome changes related to lipid and amino acid metabolism.

2025
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

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
Systematic Review Tier 1

Interactions between polystyrene-derived micro- and nanoplastics and the microbiota: a systematic review of multi-omics mouse studies

Researchers systematically reviewed 15 mouse studies and found that exposure to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics consistently disrupted gut bacteria — reducing beneficial species like Lactobacillus and increasing harmful ones — while also altering metabolic pathways throughout the body. Nanoplastics caused more severe microbiome disruption than larger microplastics, highlighting a serious health concern for humans.

2026 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C
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

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

Polystyrene Microplastics and Bisphenol A Exposure Worsen Intestinal Injury in Diabetic Mice by Disrupting Gut Microbiota and Metabolites

Researchers exposed diabetic mice to polystyrene microplastics and bisphenol A, then examined intestinal effects using metabolomics and gut microbiome sequencing. The study found that both pollutants worsened intestinal injury in diabetic mice by disrupting gut barrier proteins, altering beneficial metabolites like long-chain fatty acids, and shifting gut microbial composition toward less favorable species.

2025 Chemical Research in Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Deciphering Gut Microbiome Responses upon Microplastic Exposure via Integrating Metagenomics and Activity-Based Metabolomics

Using advanced metagenomics and metabolomics techniques, researchers studied how polystyrene microplastic exposure affects the gut microbiome in mice. The study found that microplastics disrupted the balance of gut bacteria and altered metabolic pathways related to amino acids and lipids. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could influence gut health and metabolism, though more research is needed to understand the implications for human health.

2023 Metabolites 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics trigger adiposity in mice by remodeling gut microbiota and boosting fatty acid synthesis

Researchers discovered that polystyrene microplastics at relatively low concentrations caused weight gain and excess fat accumulation in mice by reshaping their gut bacteria. The altered gut microbiome boosted fatty acid production, increased appetite, and lowered physical activity in the exposed mice. This finding is significant because it suggests everyday levels of microplastic exposure could contribute to obesity through changes in gut bacteria and metabolism.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and their Additives in the Indoor Environment

This study investigated the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the gut microbiome and metabolic health of mice, finding dysbiosis, reduced short-chain fatty acid production, and signs of systemic inflammation after 4 weeks of oral exposure. Effects were more pronounced at higher doses.

2022 Angewandte Chemie 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in a colitis mouse model – effects on biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome

Researchers exposed colitis mouse models to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics to test whether MNP exposure worsens inflammatory bowel disease, finding that MNPs altered biodistribution and exacerbated inflammatory responses in animals with pre-existing gut inflammation.

2025
Article Tier 2

Distinctive metabolic disturbances associated with redox homeostasis, nervous and hormonal functions during gut microbial enrichment upon polystyrene microplastic exposure

Researchers tracked gut microbial enrichment, virome shifts, and metabolomic changes in organisms exposed to polystyrene microplastics, finding Eubacteriales-dominated dysbiosis accompanied by colitis. Microplastic exposure activated polyamine synthesis pathways, altered serotonin and thyroxine metabolism, and increased cholesterol-derived hormone synthesis, revealing complex hormonal and neurochemical disruption.

2025 iMetaOmics.
Article Tier 2

Metabolic Reprogramming in Gut Microbiota Exposed to Polystyrene Microplastics

This pilot study exposed common gut bacteria to polystyrene microplastics in the lab and found that the plastics reduced bacterial growth in a dose-dependent manner and disrupted key metabolic pathways. When gut bacteria from mice were tested, microplastic exposure shifted the microbial community balance, reducing beneficial species. These results suggest that microplastics ingested through food and water could alter the gut microbiome, which plays an important role in digestion, immunity, and overall health.

2025 Biomedicines 8 citations
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

Microbial colonization of microplastics in wastewater accelerates the aging process associated with oxidative stress and the insulin/IGF1 signaling pathway

Researchers found that microbial colonization of polystyrene microplastics in wastewater accelerates their aging and increases toxicity in organisms, with biofilm-developed microplastics inducing oxidative stress and affecting lifespan through the insulin/IGF1 signaling pathway.

2023 Environmental Pollution 12 citations