Transcriptomic profiling reveals differential cellular response to copper oxide nanoparticles and polystyrene nanoplastics in perfused human placenta

Polylactic acid micro/nanoplastic-induced hepatotoxicity: Investigating food and air sources via multi-omics

Micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) are detected in human liver, and pose significant risks to human health. Oral exposure to MNPs derived from non-biodegradable plastics can induce toxicity in mouse liver. Similarly, nasal exposure to non-biodegradable plastics can cause airway dysbiosis in mice. However, the hepatotoxicity induced by foodborne and airborne biodegradable MNPs remains poorly understood. Here we show the hepatotoxic effects of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) MNPs through multi-omics analysis of various biological samples from mice, including gut, fecal, nasal, lung, liver, and blood samples. Our results show that both foodborne and airborne PLA MNPs compromise liver function, disrupt serum antioxidant activity, and cause liver pathology. Specifically, foodborne MNPs lead to gut microbial dysbiosis, metabolic alterations in the gut and serum, and liver transcriptomic changes. Airborne MNPs affect nasal and lung microbiota, alter lung and serum metabolites, and disrupt liver transcriptomics. The gut Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group is a potential biomarker for foodborne PLA MNP exposure, while nasal unclassified_Muribaculaceae and lung Klebsiella are potential biomarkers for airborne PLA MNP exposure. The relevant results suggest that foodborne PLA MNPs could affect the "gut microbiota-gut-liver" axis and induce hepatoxicity, while airborne PLA MNPs could disrupt the "airway microbiota-lung-liver" axis and cause hepatoxicity. These findings have implications for diagnosing PLA MNPs-induced hepatotoxicity and managing biodegradable materials in the environment. Our current study could be a starting point for biodegradable MNPs-induced hepatotoxicity. More research is needed to verify and inhibit the pathways that are crucial to MNPs-induced hepatotoxicity.

The hidden threat: Unraveling the impact of microplastics on reproductive health

Microplastics, with intricate physical and chemical characteristics, infiltrate the food chain and extensively impact ecosystems. Despite acknowledging the link between environmental pollution and declining fertility, the specific mechanisms affecting reproductive health remain to be elucidated. This review emphasizes the global correlation between microplastics and subfertility, focusing on entry pathways and impacts on ecosystems. Research suggests that microplastics disrupt the neuroendocrine system, influencing sex hormone synthesis through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. In the reproductive system, microplastics interfere with the blood-testis barrier, impairing spermatogenesis in males, and causing placental dysfunction, ovarian atrophy, endometrial hyperplasia, and fibrosis in females. Moreover, microplastics potentially affect offspring's lipid metabolism and reproductive functions. However, complex microplastic compositions and detection method limitations impede research progress. Mitigation strategies for reproductive effects, combined with addressing microplastic pollution through sustainable practices, are imperative. This review underscores the urgency of global initiatives and collaborative research to safeguard reproductive health amid escalating microplastic contamination.

Reproductive toxicity and related mechanisms of micro(nano)plastics in terrestrial mammals: Review of current evidence

Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) have been detected in various ecological environments and are widely used due to their stable properties, raising widespread concern about their potential human reproductive toxicity. Currently, infertility affects approximately 10-30% of couples of reproductive age globally. MNPs, as environmental pollutants, have been shown to exhibit reproductive toxicity through intrinsic mechanisms or as carriers of other hazardous substances. Numerous studies have established that MNPs of varying sizes and types can penetrate biological barriers, and enter tissues and even organelles of organisms through four main routes: dietary ingestion, inhalation, dermal contact, and medical interventions. However, historical research on the toxic effects of MNPs on reproduction mainly focused on lower and aquatic species. We conducted an inclusive review of studies involving terrestrial mammals, revealing that MNPs can induce reproductive toxicity via various mechanisms such as oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, apoptosis, autophagy, disruption of intestinal flora, endocrine disruption, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and DNA damage. In terrestrial mammals, reproductive toxicity predominantly manifests as disruption in the blood-testis barrier (BTB), impaired spermatogenesis, sperm malformation, sperm DNA damage, reduced sperm fertilizing capacity, compromised oocyte maturation, impaired follicular growth, granulosa cell apoptosis, diminished ovarian reserve function, uterine and ovarian fibrosis, and endocrine disruption, among other effects. Furthermore, MNPs can traverse the maternal-fetal interface, potentially impacting offspring reproductive health. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the potential reproductive toxicity and underlying mechanisms of MNPs with different sizes, polymer types, shapes, and carried toxins, as well as to explore effective protective interventions for mitigating reproductive damage, further in-depth animal studies, clinical trials, and large-scale epidemiological studies are urgently required.

Effects of microplastics on the kidneys: A narrative review

Micro- and nanoplastics (MPs) are small synthetic organic polymer particles (<5 mm and <1 μm, respectively) that originate directly from plastic compounds or result from the degradation of plastic. These particles are a global concern since they are widely distributed in water, air, food and soil, and recent scientific evidence has linked MPs to negative biological effects. Although these particles are difficult to detect in humans, MPs have been identified in different biological fluids and tissues, such as the placenta, lung, intestines, liver, blood, urine, and kidneys. Human exposure to MPs can occur by ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact, potentially causing metabolic alterations. Data from experimental and clinical studies have revealed that the ability of MPs to promote inflammation, oxidative stress, and organ dysfunction and negatively affect clinical outcomes is associated with their accumulation in body fluids and tissues. Although evidence of the putative action of MPs in the human kidney is still scarce, there is growing interest in studying MPs in this organ. In addition, chronic kidney disease (CKD) requires investigation because this condition is potentially prone to MP accumulation. The purpose of the present article is (i) to review the general aspects of MP generation, available analytic methods for identification and the main known biological toxic effects and (ii) to describe and critically analyze key experimental and clinical studies that support a role of MPs in kidney disease.

Nanoparticles Dysregulate the Human Placental Secretome with Consequences on Angiogenesis and Vascularization

Exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) in pregnancy is increasingly linked to adverse effects on embryo-fetal development and health later in life. However, the developmental toxicity mechanisms of NPs are largely unknown, in particular potential effects on the placental secretome, which orchestrates many developmental processes pivotal for pregnancy success. This study demonstrates extensive material- and pregnancy stage-specific deregulation of placental signaling from a single exposure of human placental explants to physiologically relevant concentrations of engineered (silica (SiO2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs) and environmental NPs (diesel exhaust particles, DEPs). This includes a multitude of secreted inflammatory, vascular, and endocrine placental factors as well as extracellular vesicle (EV)-associated proteins. Moreover, conditioned media (CM) from NP-exposed explants induce pronounced anti-angiogenic and anti-vasculogenic effects, while early neurodevelopmental processes are only marginally affected. These findings underscore the potential of metal oxide NPs and DEPs for widespread interference with the placental secretome and identify vascular morphogenesis as a sensitive outcome for the indirect developmental toxicity of different NPs. Overall, this work has profound implications for the future safety assessment of NPs for industrial, commercial, or medical applications in pregnancy, which should consider placenta-mediated toxicity by holistic secretomics approaches to ensure the development of safe nanotechnologies.

Exposure to high dose of polystyrene nanoplastics causes trophoblast cell apoptosis and induces miscarriage

BACKGROUND

With rapid increase in the global use of various plastics, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) pollution and their adverse health effects have attracted global attention. MPs have been detected out in human body and both MPs and NPs showed female reproductive toxicological effects in animal models. Miscarriage (abnormal early embryo loss), accounting for 15-25% pregnant women worldwide, greatly harms human reproduction. However, the adverse effects of NPs on miscarriage have never been explored.

RESULTS

In this study, we identified that polystyrene (PS) plastics particles were present in women villous tissues. Their levels were higher in villous tissues of unexplained recurrent miscarriage (RM) patients vs. healthy control (HC) group. Furthermore, mouse assays further confirmed that exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 50 nm in diameter, 50 or 100 mg/kg) indeed induced miscarriage. In mechanism, PS-NPs exposure (50, 100, 150, or 200 µg/mL) increased oxidative stress, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased apoptosis in human trophoblast cells by activating Bcl-2/Cleaved-caspase-2/Cleaved-caspase-3 signaling through mitochondrial pathway. The alteration in this signaling was consistent in placental tissues of PS-NPs-exposed mouse model and in villous tissues of unexplained RM patients. Supplement with Bcl-2 could efficiently suppress apoptosis in PS-NPs-exposed trophoblast cells and reduce apoptosis and alleviate miscarriage in PS-NPs-exposed pregnant mouse model.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to PS-NPs activated Bcl-2/Cleaved-caspase-2/Cleaved-caspase-3, leading to excessive apoptosis in human trophoblast cells and in mice placental tissues, further inducing miscarriage.

Identification and analysis of microplastics in human lower limb joints

Microplastics (MPs) have been detected in various human tissues, including the liver, placenta, and blood. However, studies about MPs in the human locomotor system are limited. This study evaluated the presence of MPs in the synovium of 45 patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman microscopy and investigated their association with clinical indicators and local cellular responses. A total of 343 MPs of nine common types were identified, with a mean abundance of 5.24 ± 2.07 particles/g and ranging from 1.16 to 10.77 particles/g. Although there was no clear correlation between MP abundance and demographics, MP abundance was higher in hip samples than in knee samples. In addition, a potential association was observed between MP abundance and specific clinical diagnoses. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that a three-fold increase in MP abundance corresponded to enhanced local cellular stress responses, particularly heat shock protein reactions. Our findings demonstrate the presence of MPs in human joints and suggest that further studies are needed to explore the intricate associations between MPs and anatomical location, clinical diagnosis, and local cellular responses.

Microplastics exposure: implications for human fertility, pregnancy and child health

Plastics found in our everyday environment are becoming an increasing concern for individual and population-level health, and the extent of exposure and potential toxic effects of these contaminants on numerous human organ systems are becoming clear. Microplastics (MPs), tiny plastic particles, appear to have many of the same biological effects as their plastic precursors and have the compounded effect of potential accumulation in different organs. Recently, microplastic accumulation was observed in the human placenta, raising important questions related to the biological effects of these contaminants on the health of pregnancies and offspring. These concerns are particularly heightened considering the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) framework, which postulates that in utero exposure can programme the lifelong health of the offspring. The current review examines the state of knowledge on this topic and highlights important avenues for future investigation.