Department of Nursing, Division of Basic Medical Sciences, and Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion Research Center, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Puzi City, Chiayi County 61363, Taiwan; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Puzi City, Chiayi County 61363, Taiwan; Department of Safety Health and Environmental Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 243303, Taiwan.
Department of Respiratory Care, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Puzi City, Chiayi County 613, Taiwan; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Puzi City, Chiayi County 613, Taiwan.
J Hazard Mater. 2022 May 15;430:128431. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128431. Epub 2022 Feb 4.
Microplastics (MPs) pollution has become a serious environmental issue worldwide, but its potential effects on health remain unknown. The administration of polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) to mice for eight weeks impaired learning and memory behavior. PS-MPs were detected in the brain especially in the hippocampus of these mice. Concurrently, the hippocampus had decreased levels of immediate-early genes, aberrantly enhanced synaptic glutamate AMPA receptors, and elevated neuroinflammation, all of which are critical for synaptic plasticity and memory. Interestingly, ablation of the vagus nerve, a modulator of the gut-brain axis, improved the memory function of PS-MPs mice. These results indicate that exposure to PS-MPs in mice alters the expression of neuronal activity-dependent genes and synaptic proteins, and increases neuroinflammation in the hippocampus, subsequently causing behavioral changes through the vagus nerve-dependent pathway. Our findings shed light on the adverse impacts of PS-MPs on the brain and hippocampal learning and memory.
微塑料（MPs）污染已成为全球范围内一个严重的环境问题，但它们对健康的潜在影响尚不清楚。给老鼠喂食聚苯乙烯 MPs（PS-MPs）八周会损害学习和记忆行为。这些老鼠的大脑中特别是海马体中检测到了 PS-MPs。与此同时，海马体中即刻早期基因的水平下降，突触谷氨酸 AMPA 受体异常增强，神经炎症升高，所有这些都是突触可塑性和记忆所必需的。有趣的是，迷走神经（肠道-大脑轴的调节剂）的消融改善了 PS-MPs 老鼠的记忆功能。这些结果表明，暴露于 PS-MPs 会改变小鼠大脑中神经元活性依赖性基因和突触蛋白的表达，并增加海马体中的神经炎症，随后通过迷走神经依赖性途径导致行为改变。我们的研究结果揭示了 PS-MPs 对大脑和海马体学习和记忆的不良影响。
