Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and lead aggravated ovarian toxicity in female mice via the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway

Feng, Yueying; Yuan, Hongbin; Wan-zhen, Wang; Xu, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Jinfeng; Xu, Hengyi; Fu, Fen

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113966

Cited by 38 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…MPs can serve as a carrier for the adsorption of toxic substances, including heavy metals, organic pollutants, pathogens, and other contaminants. MPs and their co-contaminants can be transferred via the food chain and accumulate across different trophic levels, which may have a detrimental effect on human health (6)(7)(8). Dietary exposure is one of the main routes for humans exposed to MPs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polystyrene microplastics induced nephrotoxicity associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in juvenile rats

et al. 2023

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IntroductionUnintended intake of microplastic particles has been demonstrated to exert adverse health effects, however, studies on relevant nephrotoxicity in juvenile mammals are lacking.MethodsTherefore, we investigated the potential nephrotoxicity of oral-exposed polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) (1,000 nm, 2.0 mg/kg/d) for 28 days in juvenile rats. Levels of oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in kidneys were analyzed.Results and discussionResults revealed that PSMPs noticeably decreased the growth rate of bodyweight, and organ index of the kidney, cardiac, and ovary. The intestinal injury caused by PSMPs exposure was also observed, which was distinctly alleviated with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and Salubrinal (Sal) treatment compared with the single PSMPs group. PSMPs caused histological lesions of the kidney via disrupting the serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CRE), and pro-inflammatory mediators IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Furthermore, PSMPs exposure induced ER stress and inflammation presumably potentially mediated by oxidative stress in kidneys of rats. Eventually, PSMPs also promoted renal cells apoptosis, manifested as an obvious increase in the number of positive cells for the dUTP nick end labeling of Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, which also can be confirmed by the elevated expression of genes associated with apoptosis Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-12, Caspase-9, Caspase-3, and IHC score of Caspase-12 in the PSMPs group. Supplementation of NAC and Sal not only ameliorated the PSMPs-induced oxidative stress and ER stress but also the inflammation and apoptosis in the kidney. Collectively, this study suggested that PSMPs caused nephrotoxicity in juvenile rats potentially through oxidative damage and ER stress, which call for greater efforts to be taken on regulating the PSMPs ingestion in children.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polystyrene microplastics induced nephrotoxicity associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in juvenile rats

et al. 2023

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“…The ovary and uterus play an instrumental role in female reproduction, which serve as the place for egg production and embryo development, respectively. Studies have demonstrated that ovaries exhibit complex tissue damage after MPs or NPs GI tract exposure, including reduced mass/body mass ratio (Wei et al, 2022), reduced number of developing follicles (An et al, 2021; Feng et al, 2022; Haddadi et al, 2022; Hou, Lei, et al, 2021; Huang, Zou, et al, 2022; Wei et al, 2022), reduced volume of developing follicles (An et al, 2021), reduced antral follicles (Liu, Zhuan, Zhang, et al, 2022), thinning of the granular layer of secondary follicles or reduced granulosa cells (Haddadi et al, 2022; Hou, Lei, et al, 2021), cellular vacuolation (Haddadi et al, 2022), reduced corpus luteum (Haddadi et al, 2022), increased ovarian fibrosis (An et al, 2021), increased primary cysts (Haddadi et al, 2022), and increased atretic follicles (Feng et al, 2022; Haddadi et al, 2022; Huang, Zou, et al, 2022). All these structural damages on the tissue level suggest that MPs exposure influenced the ovarian reserve and female fertility.…”

Section: Fertility Toxicity Of Mps and Nps To Rodent And The Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For women, whether of childbearing age or not, estrogen performs an invaluable role in developing and maintaining female secondary sexual characters, regulating the secretion of gonadotropins during ovulation, preventing reproductive atrophy, and promoting the development of reproductive organs (Nelson & Bulun, 2001). Nevertheless, after MPs or NPs GI tract exposure, the serum estradiol (E2) level was considerably reduced in female rodents (Feng et al, 2022; Haddadi et al, 2022; Huang, Zou, et al, 2022; Wei et al, 2022). An increase in the levels of serum LH and FSH (Wei et al, 2022) and a decrease in the levels of serum progesterone (Feng et al, 2022) were observed in certain studies.…”

Section: Fertility Toxicity Of Mps and Nps To Rodent And The Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, after MPs or NPs GI tract exposure, the serum estradiol (E2) level was considerably reduced in female rodents (Feng et al, 2022; Haddadi et al, 2022; Huang, Zou, et al, 2022; Wei et al, 2022). An increase in the levels of serum LH and FSH (Wei et al, 2022) and a decrease in the levels of serum progesterone (Feng et al, 2022) were observed in certain studies.…”

Section: Fertility Toxicity Of Mps and Nps To Rodent And The Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The upregulation of ROS levels in mice ovarian tissues after MPs or NPs GI tract exposure was accompanied by the reduction in the levels of antioxidant enzymes or proteins such as CAT, GSH‐PX, SOD, and TAC (An et al, 2021; Feng et al, 2022; Hou, Lei, et al, 2021; Liu, Zhuan, Zhang, et al, 2022; Wei et al, 2022) and the increase in the level of lipid peroxide, MDA (Wu et al, 2022). Variations in the level of reactive oxygen and antioxidant enzyme intuitively represent the onset of oxidative stress states in rodents.…”

Section: Fertility Toxicity Of Mps and Nps To Rodent And The Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The reproductive and transgenerational toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics: A threat to mammalian fertility in both sexes

Yin

2023

J of Applied Toxicology

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Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are extensively distributed in the environment. However, a comprehensive review and in‐depth discussion on the effects of MPs and NPs to reproductive capacity and transgenerational toxicity on mammals, especially on humans, is lacked. It is suggested that microplastics and nanoplastics could accumulate in mammalian reproductive organs and exert toxic effects on the reproductive system for both sexes. For males, the damage of microplastics consists of abnormal testicular and sperm structure, decreased sperm vitality, and endocrine disruption, which were caused by oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis of testicular cells, autophagy, abnormal cytoskeleton, and abnormal hypothalamic‐pituitary‐testicular axis. For females, the damage of microplastics includes abnormal ovary and uterus structure and endocrine disruption, which were caused by oxidative stress, inflammation, granulosa cell apoptosis, hypothalamic‐pituitary‐ovary axis abnormalities, and tissue fibrosis. For transgenerational toxicity, premature mortality existed in the rodent offspring after maternal exposure to microplastics. Among the surviving offspring, metabolic disorders, reproductive dysfunction, immune, neurodevelopmental, and cognitive disorders were detected, and these events directly correlated with transgenerational translocation of MPs and NPs. Studies on human‐derived cells or organoids demonstrated that transgenerational toxicity studies for both sexes are yet in the phase of exploring suitable experimental models, and more detailed research on the threat of MPs and NPs to human fertility is still urgently needed. Further studies will help assess the MPs and NPs threat to public fertility and reproductive health risks.

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Oral exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics altered the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis role in hormonal regulation, inducing reproductive toxicity in albino rats

Ebrahim,

El‐Dakdoky,

El‐Shafiey

et al. 2024

Birth Defects Research

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BackgroundNanoplastics can be considered a novel contaminant for the environment because of their extensive applications in modern society, which represents a possible threat to humans. Nevertheless, the negative effect of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS‐NPs) on male reproduction, fertility, and progeny outcomes is not well known. Thus, the aim of the present work was to calculate the median lethal dose (LD50) and investigate the consequences of exposure to PS‐NPs (25 nm) on male reproductive toxicity.MethodsThis investigation first determined the LD50 of PS‐NPs in male Wistar rats, and then in a formal study, 24 rats were distributed into three groups (n = 8): the control group; the low‐dose group (3 mg/kg bw); and the high‐dose group (10 mg/kg bw) of PS‐NPs administered orally for 60 days. On the 50th day of administration, the fertility test was conducted.ResultsThe LD50 was determined to be 2500 mg/kg. PS‐NP administration induced significant alternations, mainly indicating mortality in the high‐dose group, a significant elevation in body weight gain, declined sperm quality parameters, altered reproductive hormonal levels, thyroid endocrine disruption, an alternation of the normal histo‐architecture and the histo‐morphometric analysis of the testes, and impaired male fertility.ConclusionAltogether, the current findings provide novel perspectives on PS‐NP general toxicity with specific reference to male reproductive toxicity.

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Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and lead aggravated ovarian toxicity in female mice via the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway

Cited by 38 publications

References 52 publications

Polystyrene microplastics induced nephrotoxicity associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in juvenile rats

Polystyrene microplastics induced nephrotoxicity associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in juvenile rats

The reproductive and transgenerational toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics: A threat to mammalian fertility in both sexes

Oral exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics altered the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis role in hormonal regulation, inducing reproductive toxicity in albino rats

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