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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Gut microbiota-mediated poly(ε-caprolactone) microplastic degradation exacerbates metabolic dysregulation
ClearInsights into mouse metabolic health and gut microbiota responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics released from plastic food containers
Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics from food containers affect mice over four weeks. They found that both types disrupted lipid metabolism and increased harmful gut bacteria, but the biodegradable PLA microplastics actually caused more severe metabolic disruption than conventional polyethylene. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may not be safer than traditional plastics when it comes to microplastic exposure from food packaging.
Incorporation of polylactic acid microplastics into the carbon cycle as a carbon source to remodel the endogenous metabolism of the gut
Researchers discovered that gut bacteria can break down so-called biodegradable PLA microplastics and incorporate the carbon into their own metabolism, fundamentally altering the gut's energy balance. This process reduced beneficial short-chain fatty acids that fuel gut lining cells and caused decreased appetite and weight loss in mice, suggesting that biodegradable plastics may not be as harmless inside the body as assumed.
Hepatotoxicity induced by polylactic acid microplastics: The mediating role of gut microbiota and uric acid metabolism
Researchers found that polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, often marketed as biodegradable and eco-friendly, caused liver damage in a study by disrupting gut bacteria and raising uric acid levels. The gut microbiome changes triggered by PLA microplastics were the key driver of the liver injury, not direct contact with the liver. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safe and highlights the gut-liver connection in microplastic toxicity.
Simulated gastrointestinal digestion of two different sources of biodegradable microplastics and the influence on gut microbiota
Researchers used a simulated human digestive system to study what happens to biodegradable microplastics when we swallow them. They found that PLA (polylactic acid) microplastics started breaking down in stomach acid, while PCL (polycaprolactone) microplastics stayed intact until reaching the large intestine, where both types disrupted beneficial gut bacteria. This is concerning because biodegradable plastics, often marketed as safer alternatives, may still harm gut health when ingested.
Polylactic acid micro/nanoplastic-induced hepatotoxicity: Investigating food and air sources via multi-omics
Researchers found that polylactic acid (PLA) — a plastic marketed as biodegradable — caused liver damage in mice whether the particles were ingested through food or inhaled through air, disrupting gut and lung microbiomes along the way. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safe and suggest that micro- and nanoplastics from any source can pose a risk to liver health.
Comparative Analysis of Metabolic Dysfunctions Associated with Pristine and Aged Polyethylene Microplastic Exposure via the Liver-Gut Axis in Mice
Mice fed both new and weathered polyethylene microplastics developed disrupted fat metabolism, liver oxidative stress, and shifts in gut bacteria, with weathered (aged) particles causing more severe effects. This study suggests that the microplastics people encounter in the real world, which have been degraded by sunlight and time, may be more harmful than the pristine particles typically used in lab studies.
Chronic exposure to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics induces gut microbiota dysbiosis and disordered hepatic lipid metabolism in mice
Researchers found that mice exposed to PET microplastics (the type commonly found in plastic bottles) over 17 weeks developed liver damage, including fat buildup, oxidative stress, and cell death. The study revealed that the damage was driven by changes in gut bacteria that altered lipid metabolism, and when researchers depleted the gut bacteria, the liver damage was reduced. This suggests the gut microbiome plays a key role in how microplastics cause harm to internal organs.
Comparative Analysisof Metabolic Dysfunctions Associatedwith Pristine and Aged Polyethylene Microplastic Exposure via theLiver-Gut Axis in Mice
Researchers fed mice low doses of pristine and aged polyethylene microplastics for several weeks and analyzed changes in blood metabolites, liver proteins, and gut bacteria. Both forms caused lipid metabolism disruptions and reduced beneficial gut bacteria, with aged microplastics showing greater toxicity linked to changes in fatty acid processing enzymes.
Oral exposure to PLA microplastics induces time-dependent nanotoxicity via the gut-liver axis
Researchers fed mice polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, a type derived from biodegradable plastic, and tracked health effects over time using advanced metabolic and microbiome analysis. Short-term exposure caused gut inflammation and altered gut bacteria composition, followed by metabolic disturbances in the liver and intestine. However, prolonged exposure triggered adaptive changes, suggesting the body can partially adjust to sustained microplastic presence, though the long-term implications remain uncertain.
Oligomer nanoparticle release from polylactic acid plastics catalysed by gut enzymes triggers acute inflammation
Researchers found that polylactic acid (PLA), a popular 'eco-friendly' biodegradable plastic, releases nanoplastic particles when broken down by gut enzymes during digestion. In mice, these PLA fragments accumulated in the liver, intestine, and brain, causing intestinal damage and acute inflammation by interfering with a key immune enzyme, raising important questions about whether biodegradable plastics are truly safer for human health.
Polylactic Acid Microplastics Do Not Exhibit Lower Biological Toxicity in Growing Mice Compared to Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics
Researchers compared the health effects of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics to conventional polyvinyl chloride microplastics in growing mice over six weeks. Contrary to expectations, the biodegradable microplastics caused equal or more severe harm, including greater disruption of gut bacteria, stronger inflammatory responses, and more intestinal damage. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may not be safer than conventional plastics once they break down into microplastic-sized particles.
Gastrointestinal Incomplete Degradation Exacerbates Neurotoxic Effects of PLA Microplastics via Oligomer Nanoplastics Formation
This study found that when PLA microplastics -- a common biodegradable plastic -- are partially broken down in the digestive system, they form smaller oligomer nanoplastics that are actually more toxic to the brain than the original particles. Mice exposed to these digestive breakdown products showed worse neurological effects, challenging the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer for human health.
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.
Dysbiosis of gut microbiota in C57BL/6-Lepem1hwl/Korl mice during microplastics-caused hepatic metabolism disruption
Researchers administered polypropylene microplastics orally to obese mice for 9 weeks and found disruption of hepatic lipid, glucose, and amino acid metabolism alongside structural changes in gut microbiota, with microplastic-treated mice showing decreased hepatic lipid accumulation and altered abundance of specific bacterial genera.
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.
Nanoplastics and microplastics released from an enzyme-embedded biodegradable polyester during hydrolysis
Researchers studied the release of micro- and nanoplastics from a biodegradable polyester (polycaprolactone) embedded with an enzyme designed to accelerate its breakdown. They found that the embedded enzyme dramatically sped up hydrolysis but also produced significantly more microplastic and nanoplastic particles compared to external enzyme treatment. The study raises important questions about whether enzyme-embedded biodegradable plastics might actually increase micro- and nanoplastic pollution during their degradation.
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.
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.
Long-Term Exposureto Environmentally Realistic Dosesof Starch-Based Microplastics Suggests Widespread Health Effects
Long-term exposure of organisms to environmentally realistic doses of starch-based microplastics revealed measurable toxicological effects including gut microbiome disruption and oxidative stress, suggesting that even certified biodegradable plastics may pose health risks before fully breaking down.
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.
Polyethylene terephthalate microplastics affect gut microbiota distribution and intestinal damage in mice
Mice exposed to PET microplastics, the type commonly found in plastic bottles, developed intestinal inflammation, changes in gut bacteria, and signs of a weakened gut barrier. Even at relatively low doses, the microplastics increased liver stress markers and disrupted the protective mucus layer in the colon, suggesting that everyday PET plastic exposure could contribute to digestive health problems.
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.
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.
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.