Toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging: Absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerization
This study examined the effects of hot high-fat simulants on the physicochemical properties of microplastics (MPs) from polypropylene (PP)-, low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-, and polylactic acid (PLA)-based single-use food container (SUFC) leachates and those of aging on their immunomodulatory effec...
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025001096 |
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| author | Fang Du Meiqian Hou Song Lu Xiaotian Ding Ling Zhang Yajie Du Zhen An Wenwen Cai Leicheng Zhao Weidong Wu Zhiguo Cao |
| author_facet | Fang Du Meiqian Hou Song Lu Xiaotian Ding Ling Zhang Yajie Du Zhen An Wenwen Cai Leicheng Zhao Weidong Wu Zhiguo Cao |
| author_sort | Fang Du |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examined the effects of hot high-fat simulants on the physicochemical properties of microplastics (MPs) from polypropylene (PP)-, low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-, and polylactic acid (PLA)-based single-use food container (SUFC) leachates and those of aging on their immunomodulatory effectors. Scenario studies have demonstrated that MPs were released from these three types of SUFCs. LDPE- and PLA-based SUFCs also released cellulose. Among the SUFCs, only the PP leachates particles exhibited a new absorption peak at 1725 cm−1, which aging phenomenon may be attributed to the presence of unstable tertiary carbon atoms. Subsequently, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of removing additive both PP and thermal-aged PP with polystyrene (PS) and carboxyl-modified PS (PS-COOH) polymer backbones as reference materials. The findings indicated that thermal-aged PP and PS-COOH induced comparable innate immune responses, with PS-COOH particles exhibiting a similar size to SUFC percolates. Consequently, PS and PS-COOH were selected as original and thermal-aged MPs, respectively, to evaluate the effects of aging on innate immunity. The results revealed that a protein corona formed on both particle types, with more protein adsorption observed on PS-COOH particles. The complex enhanced the phagocytosis of RAW264.7 macrophages and increased the expression of pro-inflammatory genes NOS2 and TNF-α through an actin polymerization cross-linking mechanism. In this study, we investigated how thermal-aged MPs affect innate immune responses using PS-COOH as a model system, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive safety evaluations of MPs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-86946045f72a4d88b02a723fbfcd299c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj-art-86946045f72a4d88b02a723fbfcd299c2025-08-20T03:16:35ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202025-03-0119710935810.1016/j.envint.2025.109358Toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging: Absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerizationFang Du0Meiqian Hou1Song Lu2Xiaotian Ding3Ling Zhang4Yajie Du5Zhen An6Wenwen Cai7Leicheng Zhao8Weidong Wu9Zhiguo Cao10School of Environment, Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaSchool of Environment, Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaSchool of Environment, Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaSchool of Environment, Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Henan International Collaborative Laboratory for Health Effects and Intervention of Air Pollution, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, ChinaSchool of Environment, Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Henan International Collaborative Laboratory for Health Effects and Intervention of Air Pollution, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, ChinaSchool of Environment, Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; Huanghuai Laboratory, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, ChinaSchool of Environment, Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; Huanghuai Laboratory, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Henan International Collaborative Laboratory for Health Effects and Intervention of Air Pollution, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; Corresponding authors.School of Environment, Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; Huanghuai Laboratory, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, China; Corresponding authors.This study examined the effects of hot high-fat simulants on the physicochemical properties of microplastics (MPs) from polypropylene (PP)-, low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-, and polylactic acid (PLA)-based single-use food container (SUFC) leachates and those of aging on their immunomodulatory effectors. Scenario studies have demonstrated that MPs were released from these three types of SUFCs. LDPE- and PLA-based SUFCs also released cellulose. Among the SUFCs, only the PP leachates particles exhibited a new absorption peak at 1725 cm−1, which aging phenomenon may be attributed to the presence of unstable tertiary carbon atoms. Subsequently, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of removing additive both PP and thermal-aged PP with polystyrene (PS) and carboxyl-modified PS (PS-COOH) polymer backbones as reference materials. The findings indicated that thermal-aged PP and PS-COOH induced comparable innate immune responses, with PS-COOH particles exhibiting a similar size to SUFC percolates. Consequently, PS and PS-COOH were selected as original and thermal-aged MPs, respectively, to evaluate the effects of aging on innate immunity. The results revealed that a protein corona formed on both particle types, with more protein adsorption observed on PS-COOH particles. The complex enhanced the phagocytosis of RAW264.7 macrophages and increased the expression of pro-inflammatory genes NOS2 and TNF-α through an actin polymerization cross-linking mechanism. In this study, we investigated how thermal-aged MPs affect innate immune responses using PS-COOH as a model system, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive safety evaluations of MPs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025001096MicroplasticsAgingProtein coronaPhagocytosisPro-inflammatory responseActin polymerization |
| spellingShingle | Fang Du Meiqian Hou Song Lu Xiaotian Ding Ling Zhang Yajie Du Zhen An Wenwen Cai Leicheng Zhao Weidong Wu Zhiguo Cao Toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging: Absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerization Environment International Microplastics Aging Protein corona Phagocytosis Pro-inflammatory response Actin polymerization |
| title | Toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging: Absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerization |
| title_full | Toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging: Absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerization |
| title_fullStr | Toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging: Absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging: Absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerization |
| title_short | Toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging: Absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerization |
| title_sort | toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerization |
| topic | Microplastics Aging Protein corona Phagocytosis Pro-inflammatory response Actin polymerization |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025001096 |
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