Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Multiomics RevealsNonphagocytosable MicroplasticsInduce Colon Inflammatory Injury via Bile Acid-Gut Microbiota Interactionsand Barrier Dysfunction

Mice were given long-term oral exposure to 10 µm polystyrene microplastics (too large for cellular uptake) and colonic inflammatory injury was assessed using multi-omics. Non-phagocytosable microplastics disrupted the colonic redox balance, elevated the Th17/Treg ratio, and caused colitis through bile acid-gut microbiota interactions and intestinal barrier dysfunction.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

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

Researchers found that polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics aggravated colitis symptoms in a mouse model, increasing gut permeability, inflammatory cytokine levels, and tissue damage compared to controls. The study provides mechanistic evidence linking microplastic exposure to worsening of inflammatory bowel conditions.

2024 Research Square (Research Square)
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

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

Researchers induced colitis in mice using dextran sodium sulfate and orally administered polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics of three sizes, then tracked biodistribution, macrophage polarization, and gut microbiome changes. In colitis conditions, microplastic uptake into systemic tissues was enhanced, macrophages shifted toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype, and gut microbial diversity decreased, suggesting that inflammatory bowel disease increases vulnerability to microplastic-driven systemic harm.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

Nano‐plastics disrupt systemic metabolism by remodeling the bile acid–microbiota axis and driving hepatic–intestinal dysfunction

Mice were exposed to polyethylene terephthalate nanoparticles, and researchers used histopathology, metabolomics, and metagenomics to track downstream effects. Nanoplastic ingestion caused severe metabolic disruption—including weight loss, organ atrophy, and liver-intestinal dysfunction—by remodeling the bile acid–gut microbiota axis.

2025 iMeta
Article Tier 2

Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Microplastic Exposure Cause Cholestasis and Bile Acid Metabolism Dysregulation through a Gut-Liver Loop in Mice

Mice exposed to environmentally realistic levels of polystyrene microplastics for 30 days developed damaged intestinal barriers, liver injury, and disrupted bile acid metabolism. The study revealed a gut-liver feedback loop where microplastics alter gut bacteria, which changes bile acid production, which in turn causes further liver damage, suggesting a mechanism by which everyday microplastic exposure could harm digestive health.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Microplastics on Morphological Manifestations of Experimental Acute Colitis

Researchers fed polystyrene microplastics to mice for six weeks and found that healthy mice developed changes in their colon lining, including altered mucus composition and immune cell populations. When mice with experimentally induced colitis also consumed microplastics, their intestinal inflammation was significantly more severe. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may worsen inflammatory bowel conditions.

2023 Toxics 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial diversity and metabolomics analysis of colon contents exposed to cadmium and polystyrene microplastics

Researchers investigated how cadmium alone and combined with polystyrene microplastics affects the colon of mice over 42 days. The study found that combined exposure caused more severe intestinal damage than cadmium alone, with distinct changes in gut microbial diversity and metabolic pathways, including shifts in bile acid metabolism and increased abundance of certain bacterial species.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Multiomics analysis revealed the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics at different environmentally relevant concentrations on intestinal homeostasis

Researchers fed mice polystyrene nanoplastics at three different doses for 42 days and used multiple analysis methods to study the effects on gut health. Even the lowest dose increased gut permeability (leaky gut), triggered inflammation, and disrupted the balance of gut bacteria and their metabolites. These findings suggest that environmentally realistic levels of nanoplastic exposure could harm intestinal health and potentially contribute to chronic gut problems.

2025 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects induced by polyethylene microplastics oral exposure on colon mucin release, inflammation, gut microflora composition and metabolism in mice

Researchers fed mice polyethylene microplastics for 30 days and found that even low doses reduced protective mucus in the colon, altered inflammation markers, and shifted the composition of gut bacteria. The microplastics increased the ratio of Bacteroides to Firmicutes bacteria and affected metabolic pathways in the gut microbiome. The study suggests that oral microplastic exposure may disrupt intestinal health by modifying the gut microbial community and its metabolism.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 238 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

Polystyrene nanoplastics readily penetrate intestine and cause sex-specific effects mediated by bile acids and microbiome

Researchers found that approximately 60% of ingested polystyrene nanoparticles cross the intestine wall within three hours in mice, with most then captured by the liver and discharged via the biliary system. The study revealed significant sex differences, with male mice being more sensitive than females, and showed that nanoparticle exposure disrupts bile acid metabolism and increases susceptibility to colitis by altering gut bacteria.

2026 Cell Reports
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

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

Microbiota-mediated metabolic perturbations in the gut and brain of mice after microplastic exposure

In a mouse study, oral exposure to polystyrene microplastics of two sizes altered the gut bacteria community and caused metabolic changes in both the intestines and the brain. The disrupted gut bacteria appeared to drive changes in bile acid, energy, and other metabolic pathways. These findings support the idea that microplastics in food and water could affect brain health indirectly by first disrupting the gut microbiome and its chemical signals.

2023 Chemosphere 30 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

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

Single exposure of food-derived polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics profoundly affects gut microbiome in an in vitro colon model

Using a lab model of the human colon, researchers found that a single exposure to polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics, at levels matching a typical meal, significantly disrupted the gut microbiome. Harmful bacteria overgrew while beneficial bacteria declined, and the balance of bacterial metabolism shifted in unhealthy ways. This suggests that even routine dietary microplastic intake could alter gut health in humans.

2024 Environment International 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics promote colitis-associated cancer by disrupting lipid metabolism and inducing DNA damage

In a mouse study, polystyrene nanoplastics accelerated the development of colon cancer linked to inflammatory bowel disease by disrupting fat metabolism and causing DNA damage in intestinal cells. The nanoplastics also altered gut bacteria and increased intestinal inflammation, suggesting that plastic particle exposure could worsen outcomes for people already at risk for colon cancer.

2025 Environment International 23 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

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

Inflammatory response in the mid colon of ICR mice treated with polystyrene microplastics for two weeks

Researchers found that two weeks of oral polystyrene microplastic exposure in ICR mice induced an inflammatory response specifically in the mid colon, suggesting microplastics may contribute to colonic inflammation.

2021 Laboratory Animal Research 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics alters the intestinal environment and metabolic outcomes in mice

In a mouse study, oral exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene microplastics caused fatty liver disease and abnormal blood lipid levels even without prior gut leakiness. The microplastics triggered intestinal inflammation through immune cells, disrupted gut bacteria, and altered how the body processes nutrients. These results suggest that swallowing microplastics could contribute to metabolic problems and liver disease in humans.

2024 Frontiers in Immunology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

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

Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in a mouse model of colitis, examining biodistribution, immune cell responses, and gut microbiome changes. The study found that nanosized particles in particular showed distinct biodistribution patterns and affected macrophage polarization under inflammatory conditions, suggesting that intestinal inflammation may alter how the body handles micro- and nanoplastic particles.

2026 Refubium (Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin)