Polystyrene microplastics exposure: Disruption of intestinal barrier integrity and hepatic function in infant mice

Huan Li; Shimin Xu; Feng Zhou; Su Liu; Dong Zhang; Xuanyi Wei

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117357

Polystyrene microplastics exposure: Disruption of intestinal barrier integrity and hepatic function in infant mice

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2024 Nov 21:288:117357. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117357. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Huan Li¹, Shimin Xu², Feng Zhou³, Su Liu⁴, Dong Zhang², Xuanyi Wei⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
² School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
³ School of Food Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing 211171, China.
⁴ School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China. Electronic address: suliu@njnu.edu.cn.
⁵ School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.

PMID: 39577047
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117357

Abstract

The pervasive presence of microplastics (MPs) in infant formula and care products has emerged as a significant and underappreciated risk to public health. Notably, infants are at an elevated risk due to their underdeveloped intestinal defenses and liver detoxification capabilities, factors that could heighten their vulnerability to MPs. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the health implications linked to polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) exposure during early life, examining both environmentally plausible and elevated levels. Based on histological analysis, in vivo imaging analysis, biochemical analysis and 16S rRNA sequencing results, our study found that oral PSMPs exposure in infant mice led to profound toxicological consequences, such as intestinal barrier impairment and hepatic injury, in a dose-dependent manner. Strikingly, even low ambient concentration of PSMPs (20 ppb) was sufficient to inflict considerable harm, disrupting the intestinal barrier, manifested that lessened mucus secretion, elevated iFABP level (276.50±10.73 pg/mL), decreased sIgA levels (0.60±0.03 mg/g), and pathological damage of intestinal tissues, allowing PSMPs accumulation and leakage into blood, inducing hepatotoxicity, such as increased TG levels (0.99±0.05 mmol/gprot) and lipid droplet accumulation. Furthermore, PSMPs exposure gives rise to aberrant bacterial colonization, dropping the abundance of probiotics as well as altering the abundance of pathogenic bacteria, which may contribute to the toxicity outcomes. The study underscores the critical need for vigilance regarding the insidious effects of PSMPs at environmental-relevant concentrations, especially in the context of infant exposure.

Keywords: Hepatic injury; Infant mice; Intestinal barrier impairment; Oral exposure; Polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs).