Jin Haibo, Ma Tan, Sha Xiaoxuan, Liu Zhenyu, Zhou Yuan, Meng Xiannan, Chen Yabing, Han Xiaodong, Ding Jie
Immunology and Reproductive Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Medical School, Nanjing University, Hankou Road 22, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
J Hazard Mater. 2021 Jan 5;401:123430. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123430. Epub 2020 Jul 7.
Microplastics (MPs) have become hazardous materials, which have aroused widespread concern about their potential toxicity. However, the effects of MPs on reproductive systems in mammals are still ambiguous. In this study, the toxic effects of polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) in male reproduction of mice were investigated. The results indicated that after exposure for 24 h, 4 μm and 10 μm PS-MPs accumulated in the testis of mice. Meanwhile, 0.5 μm, 4 μm, and 10 μm PS-MPs could enter into three kinds of testicular cells in vitro. In addition, sperm quality and testosterone level of mice were declined after exposure to 0.5 μm, 4 μm, and 10 μm PS-MPs for 28 days. H&E staining showed that spermatogenic cells abscissed and arranged disorderly, and multinucleated gonocytes occurred in the seminiferous tubule. Moreover, PS-MPs induced testicular inflammation and the disruption of blood-testis barrier. In summary, this study demonstrated that PS-MPs induced male reproductive dysfunctions in mice, which provided new insights into the toxicity of MPs in mammals.
微塑料（MPs）已成为有害物质，其潜在毒性引发了广泛关注。然而，MPs对哺乳动物生殖系统的影响仍不明确。在本研究中，我们调查了聚苯乙烯微塑料（PS-MPs）对雄性小鼠生殖的毒性作用。结果表明，暴露24小时后，4μm和10μm的PS-MPs在小鼠睾丸中积累。同时，0.5μm、4μm和10μm的PS-MPs在体外可进入三种睾丸细胞。此外，暴露于0.5μm、4μm和10μm的PS-MPs 28天后，小鼠的精子质量和睾酮水平下降。苏木精-伊红（H&E）染色显示，生精细胞脱落且排列紊乱，生精小管中出现多核生殖母细胞。此外，PS-MPs诱导睾丸炎症并破坏血睾屏障。总之，本研究表明PS-MPs可诱导小鼠雄性生殖功能障碍，为MPs对哺乳动物的毒性提供了新的见解。
