Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics impacts developmental milestones and brain structure in mouse offspring

Harvey, Nikita; Mercer, Grace V.; Stapleton, Darcie; Steeves, Katherine L; Hanrahan, Jenna; Cui, Megan; Aghaei, Zahra; Spring, Shoshana; Helm, Paul A.; Simpson, André J.; Simpson, Myrna J.; Macgowan, Christopher K.; Baschat, Ahmet; Kingdom, John; Sled, John G.; Jobst, Karl J.; Cahill, Lindsay S.

doi:10.1039/d2va00227b

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…This suggests the female fetuses may be capable of slowing growth in response to plastics exposure, possibly resulting in alternative benefits for development. This observation is consistent with our recent results that showed abnormal postnatal developmental milestones are only found in male fetuses following maternal exposure to PS-NPs [18]. However, it should be noted that female offspring do still show evidence of focal differences in the brain structure compared to controls [18] and, at very large doses (>500 μg/day), female offspring have deficits in synaptic plasticity and cognition [17].…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…In support of this concept of sex-dependent vulnerability in neurodevelopment, Jeong et al reported neurophysiological abnormalities (measured by long-term depression) and cognitive deficits (measured using the Y-maze alternation and novel object recognition tests) in adult female mice exposed to NPs during gestation and lactation, but not in males [17]. By contrast, our group found abnormal time to eye opening, a milestone for normal postnatal development, in male murine offspring exposed to NPs during gestation and lactation, but not in females [18]. Whether the effect of maternal exposure to MPs and NPs on intrauterine growth is dependent on fetal sex is presently unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…Recent work from our group and others in mice has demonstrated that maternal exposure to MPs and NPs results in fetal growth restriction [12, 13], abnormal placental metabolism [14], maternal–fetal immune disturbances [15], metabolic disorder [16], and structural brain abnormalities in the offspring [17, 18]. This abnormal brain development was found to be dependent on the fetal sex.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics cause placental dysfunction in mice

Dibbon,

Mercer,

Maekawa

et al. 2023

Biology of Reproduction

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Maternal exposure to microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) has been shown to result in fetal growth restriction in mice. In this study, we investigated the placental and fetal hemodynamic responses to plastics exposure in mice using high-frequency ultrasound. Healthy, pregnant CD-1 dams were given either 106 ng/L of 5 μm polystyrene MPs or 106 ng/L of 50 nm polystyrene NPs in drinking water throughout gestation and compared with controls. Maternal exposure to both MPs and NPs resulted in evidence of placental dysfunction that was highly dependent on the particle size. The umbilical artery blood flow increased by 48% in the MP-exposed group and decreased by 25% in the NP-exposed group compared to controls (p < 0.05). The MP- and NP-exposed fetuses showed a significant decrease in the middle cerebral artery pulsatility index of 10% and 13% respectively compared to controls (p < 0.05), indicating vasodilation of the cerebral circulation, a fetal adaptation that is part of the brain sparing response to preserve oxygen delivery. Hemodynamic markers of placental dysfunction and fetal hypoxia were more pronounced in the group exposed to polystyrene NPs, suggesting NP-exposure during human pregnancy has the potential to disrupt fetal brain development which in turn may cause suboptimal neurodevelopmental outcomes.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics cause placental dysfunction in mice

Dibbon,

Mercer,

Maekawa

et al. 2023

Biology of Reproduction

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“…People across the world come into close, daily contact with plastics and the byproducts of their disintegration, especially nano-and microplastics. The discovery of microplastics in the placenta has sparked worries that plastics might affect fetal growth during pregnancy [16,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. Plastic pollution is a serious and growing worldwide issue; by 2060, the amount of plastic that leaks into the environment is expected to have doubled to 44 million tons annually from 22 million tons in 2019 [30][31][32].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Microplastics on Pregnancy and Fetal Development: A Systematic Review

Sharma,

Kumari,

Kumar

2024

Cureus

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Microplastic (MP) pollution is a growing global concern because of its potential to impair human health, particularly with regard to fetal development. However, the origins of prenatal MP exposure and its effects on fetal development have not been well studied. This study aimed to provide a systematic review of the literature regarding the impact of microplastics on pregnancy and fetal development.

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“…It can also provide information on soil structural characteristics, water content, nutrient and solute transport, network structure, swelling behavior and mechanical properties of hydrogels (Prior-Cabanillas et al, 2007;Haber-Pohlmeier et al, 2019Corradini et al, 2022). Currently, only a few studies exist on the application of MRI in (micro)plastic research due to their small particle sizes, different magnetic properties and high background noise (Aghaei et al, 2022;Harvey et al, 2023). Furthermore, detecting solid SAP residues in soil can be challenging due to their overall low concentrations.…”

Section: Techniques To Assess Saps and Their Transformationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Superabsorbent polymers in soil: The new microplastics?

Buchmann,

Neff,

Meyer

et al. 2024

Camb. prisms Plast.

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The extensive use of synthetic polymers in our everyday lives has resulted in significant plastic pollution. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are yet another class of anthropogenic materials with uncertain environmental implications. SAPs, like polyacrylates (PAA) or polyacrylamides (PAM), find applications in personal care products, construction, wastewater treatment, agriculture and soil remediation. However, when SAPs enter the soil, weathering may change their intended properties, potentially forming plastic-like solid residues over time. This review aims to evaluate the current scientific understanding of the application and environmental fate of SAPs in soil, focusing on the processes driving their potential transformation into solid residues. We explore analytical techniques for the qualitative and quantitative characterization of SAPs and solid SAP residues. Our research provides first insights into the potential mechanisms and conditions governing SAP aging and transformation, advancing our understanding of the fate of SAPs in soil and their impact on soil properties and functioning. There are specific knowledge gaps regarding the influence of climate change on the application and transformation of SAPs in soil. To facilitate future research, we suggest scrutinizing relevant processes of SAP transformation in the field, critically (re)evaluating SAP application to the soil and establishing robust monitoring methods.

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Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics impacts developmental milestones and brain structure in mouse offspring

Abstract: The presence of microplastics and nanoplastics (NPs) has recently been reported in human blood and tissues, raising concerns about their potential impacts on human health and fetal development. In this...

Cited by 10 publications

References 39 publications

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics cause placental dysfunction in mice

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics cause placental dysfunction in mice

Impact of Microplastics on Pregnancy and Fetal Development: A Systematic Review

Superabsorbent polymers in soil: The new microplastics?

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