Gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics incurred placental damage in mice: Insights into metabolic and gene expression disorders
As an emerging environmental pollutant, microplastics have attracted increasing attention to their potential health hazards. However, the current understanding about the toxicity and health implications, especially about developmental toxicity with exposure to microplastics is quite limited. In the...
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Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325003926 |
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| author | Zhe Wang Runyan Shi Ruimin Wang Zhenzhu Ma Shuo Jiang Fengquan Zhang Weidong Wu |
| author_facet | Zhe Wang Runyan Shi Ruimin Wang Zhenzhu Ma Shuo Jiang Fengquan Zhang Weidong Wu |
| author_sort | Zhe Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As an emerging environmental pollutant, microplastics have attracted increasing attention to their potential health hazards. However, the current understanding about the toxicity and health implications, especially about developmental toxicity with exposure to microplastics is quite limited. In the current study, we aimed to scrutinize the deleterious effects of polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) with different sizes (0.1 and 5 μm) on the placenta that plays crucial role in fetal development, following oral exposure during gestational stages. The results showed that two sizes of PSMPs could distribute in mouse placental tissues, and nanosized PSMPs (0.1 μm) exhibited greater capability to penetrate the placenta and deposit in the liver and brain of fetuses than microsized PSMPs (5 μm). Importantly, only 0.1 μm PSMPs induced a decrease in the junctional area, a reduction in the labyrinthine vascularization and an increase in cell apoptosis in the placenta, accompanied by fetal developmental impairments. The results of metabolome and transcriptome uncovered that 0.1 μm PSMP exposure caused changes in metabolic and gene profiles of placental tissues, across multiple pathways such as vascular supply, nutrient absorption and transportation and amino acid metabolism. Overall, our results confirmed that maternal PSMP exposure led to placental damages associated with metabolic and gene expression disorders. This study would provide new insights into the developmental impacts of microplastic consumption during gestation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-29e337b996b24bcb903439f0bef4f4e2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-29e337b996b24bcb903439f0bef4f4e22025-08-20T01:54:15ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-04-0129411805610.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118056Gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics incurred placental damage in mice: Insights into metabolic and gene expression disordersZhe Wang0Runyan Shi1Ruimin Wang2Zhenzhu Ma3Shuo Jiang4Fengquan Zhang5Weidong Wu6School of Public Health, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, China; Corresponding author.School of Public Health, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, ChinaAs an emerging environmental pollutant, microplastics have attracted increasing attention to their potential health hazards. However, the current understanding about the toxicity and health implications, especially about developmental toxicity with exposure to microplastics is quite limited. In the current study, we aimed to scrutinize the deleterious effects of polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) with different sizes (0.1 and 5 μm) on the placenta that plays crucial role in fetal development, following oral exposure during gestational stages. The results showed that two sizes of PSMPs could distribute in mouse placental tissues, and nanosized PSMPs (0.1 μm) exhibited greater capability to penetrate the placenta and deposit in the liver and brain of fetuses than microsized PSMPs (5 μm). Importantly, only 0.1 μm PSMPs induced a decrease in the junctional area, a reduction in the labyrinthine vascularization and an increase in cell apoptosis in the placenta, accompanied by fetal developmental impairments. The results of metabolome and transcriptome uncovered that 0.1 μm PSMP exposure caused changes in metabolic and gene profiles of placental tissues, across multiple pathways such as vascular supply, nutrient absorption and transportation and amino acid metabolism. Overall, our results confirmed that maternal PSMP exposure led to placental damages associated with metabolic and gene expression disorders. This study would provide new insights into the developmental impacts of microplastic consumption during gestation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325003926Polystyrene microplasticsBiodistributionPlacental toxicityMetabolismGene expressions |
| spellingShingle | Zhe Wang Runyan Shi Ruimin Wang Zhenzhu Ma Shuo Jiang Fengquan Zhang Weidong Wu Gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics incurred placental damage in mice: Insights into metabolic and gene expression disorders Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Polystyrene microplastics Biodistribution Placental toxicity Metabolism Gene expressions |
| title | Gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics incurred placental damage in mice: Insights into metabolic and gene expression disorders |
| title_full | Gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics incurred placental damage in mice: Insights into metabolic and gene expression disorders |
| title_fullStr | Gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics incurred placental damage in mice: Insights into metabolic and gene expression disorders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics incurred placental damage in mice: Insights into metabolic and gene expression disorders |
| title_short | Gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics incurred placental damage in mice: Insights into metabolic and gene expression disorders |
| title_sort | gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics incurred placental damage in mice insights into metabolic and gene expression disorders |
| topic | Polystyrene microplastics Biodistribution Placental toxicity Metabolism Gene expressions |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325003926 |
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