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Introduction: The presence of micro- and nano-plastics (MNPLs) in the environment has increased significantly in the past decades. However, the direct impact of MNPL particles on human health remains unclear.
Methods: In this study, we utilized a modified extraction method with a previously reported staining technique to develop a novel approach for identifying individual plastics in mixtures of MNPLs of commercial and environmental origins to be able to investigate their impacts on human cell inflammation and cell death. Polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were the plastics analyzed. The plastic composition of the environmental MNPLs was characterized using multiple analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, confocal imaging, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction.
Results: We found that both commercial and environmental MNPLs, especially PET, impose a strong inflammatory response on various human cells and tissues. At 1 mg/mL, they robustly stimulate inflammatory IL-1β and IL-6 secretion in a time-dependent manner. Importantly, we observed that the MNPLs induced variable inflammatory responses in cells depending on their plastic composition. Environmental samples rich in PET showed a strong dose-dependent response and induced IL-1β secretion at doses as low as 100 ng/mL. In addition, MNPLs can induce human cell death with or without obviously altering the cell morphology.
Discussion: These findings are significant because they represent the first instance of authentic MNPLs being collected from ecological water samples for characterization and the first time the direct influences of commercial and environmental MNPLs have been compared in human cell studies. The methods developed in this study provide a foundation for future research to isolate MNPLs from the environment and explore their potential impacts on human health and disease development.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1528502 | DOI Listing |
FASEB J
September 2025
Department of Hematology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Epilepsy is a common chronic nervous system disease that threatens human health. However, the role of FOXC1 and its relations with pyroptosis have not been fully studied in epilepsy. Sprague-Dawley rats were obtained for constructing temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand)
September 2025
Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Despite significant advancements in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using conventional therapeutic methods, drug resistance remains a major factor contributing to disease recurrence. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential benefits of combining PI3K inhibition with Cisplatin in the context of NSCLC-derived A549 cells. Human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells were cultured and treated with BKM120, cisplatin, or their combination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cardiovasc Transl Res
September 2025
Department of Cardiology, Bei'an Hospital, Beidahuang Group, Heihe, 164000, Heilongjiang Province, China.
Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) worsens ischemic damage, with ferroptosis as a key mediator of this iron-dependent cell death. Lactylation, a novel epigenetic modification, remains poorly understood in MIRI-associated ferroptosis. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanistic link between lactylation and ferroptosis in MIRI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Biol Rep
September 2025
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research North Campus , University of Delhi, 110007, Delhi, India.
Background: Standard treatment for glioblastoma includes chemotherapy, alkylating agents such as temozolomide (TMZ); however, MGMT resistance leads to recurrence. Demethoxycurcumin (DMC) has been reported to inhibit cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis, and prevent metastasis in different cancer models. We investigated the DMC-induced apoptosis and autophagy via inhibition of the AKT/mTOR pathway in human glioma U87MG and T98G cell lines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFmSphere
September 2025
Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Oxidative stress induces a wide range of cellular damage, often causing disease and cell death. While many organisms are susceptible to the effects of oxidative stress, haloarchaea have adapted to be highly resistant. Several aspects of the haloarchaeal oxidative stress response have been characterized; however, little is known about the impacts of oxidative stress at the translation level.
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