Polystyrene nanobeads exacerbate chronic colitis in mice involving in oxidative stress and hepatic lipid metabolism

Abstract

Background Nanoplastics (NPs) are omnipresent in our lives as a new type of pollution with a tiny size. It can enter organisms from the environment, accumulate in the body, and be passed down the food chain. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a nonspecific intestinal inflammatory disease that is recurrent and prevalent in the population. Given that the intestinal features of colitis may affect the behavior and toxicity of NPs, it is imperative to clarify the risk and toxicity mechanisms of NPs in colitis models. Methods and results In this study, mice were subjected to three cycles of 5-day dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) exposures, with a break of 7 to 11 days between each cycle. After the first cycle of DSS exposure, the mice were fed gavagely with water containing 100 nm polystyrene nanobeads (PS-NPs, at concentrations of 1 mg/kg·BW, 5 mg/kg·BW and 25 mg/kg·BW, respectively) for 28 consecutive days. The results demonstrated that cyclic administration of DSS induced chronic inflammation in mice, while the standard drug “5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA)” treatment partially improved colitis manifestations. PS-NPs exacerbated intestinal inflammation in mice with chronic colitis by activating the MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, PS-NPs aggravated inflammation, oxidative stress, as well as hepatic lipid metabolism disturbance in the liver of mice with chronic colitis. Conclusion PS-NPs exacerbate intestinal inflammation and injury in mice with chronic colitis. This finding highlights chronically ill populations’ susceptibility to environmental hazards, which urgent more research and risk assessment studies.

Micro(nano)plastics and Their Potential Impact on Human Gut Health: A Narrative Review

“…Indeed, further recent evidence in mouse models confirms these suspicions. It was observed that PS-NPs aggravate inflammation and intestinal injury in mice with chronic colitis [ 102 ]. Specifically, mice subjected to sodium dextran sulfate (DSS) exposures were subsequently fed via gastric tube with water containing 100 nm polystyrene nanospheres (PS-NPs, at concentrations of 1 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, and 25 mg/kg) for 28 consecutive days.…”