Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Jul;30(31):76283-76296. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-27930-1. Epub 2023 May 29.
Microplastics (MPs), with a diameter of less than 5 mm, include polymers such as polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene. The MPs occur in different morphologies including fragments, beads, fibers, and films that are swallowed by fresh water and land-based animals and enter their food chain, where they produce hazardous effects such as uterine toxicity, infertility, and neurotoxicity. The aim of this review is to explore the effects of polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) on the female reproductive system and understand the mechanisms by which they produce reproductive toxicity. Several studies suggested that the exposure to PS-MPs increased the probability of larger ovaries with fewer follicles, decreased the number of embryos produced, and decreased the number of pregnancies in female mice. It also changed sex hormone levels and caused oxidative stress, which could have an impact on fertility and reproduction. Exposure to PS-MPs caused the death of granulosa cells through apoptosis and pyroptosis via activation of the NLRP3/caspase pathway and disruption of the Wnt-signaling pathway. Activation of TL4/NOX2 caused the uterine fibrosis resulting in endometrium thinning. The PS-MPs had a negative impact on ovarian capacity, oocyte maturation, and oocyte quality. Furthermore, the PS-MPs disrupted the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis in marine animals, resulting in a decrease in hatching rate and offspring body size, causing trans-generational effects. It also reduced fecundity and produced germ-line apoptosis. The main focus of this review was to explore the different mechanisms and pathways through which PS-MPs adversely impact the female reproductive system.
微塑料（MPs）的直径小于 5 毫米，包括聚苯乙烯、聚丙烯和聚乙烯等聚合物。MPs 以不同的形态存在，包括碎片、珠粒、纤维和薄膜，这些碎片、珠粒、纤维和薄膜被淡水和陆地动物吞食，并进入它们的食物链，在食物链中产生子宫毒性、不孕和神经毒性等有害影响。本综述的目的是探讨聚苯乙烯 MPs（PS-MPs）对女性生殖系统的影响，并了解其产生生殖毒性的机制。有几项研究表明，暴露于 PS-MPs 会增加卵巢较大、卵泡较少、胚胎数量减少和怀孕几率降低的可能性。它还会改变性激素水平并引起氧化应激，从而对生育和繁殖产生影响。PS-MPs 通过激活 NLRP3/半胱天冬酶途径和破坏 Wnt 信号通路，导致颗粒细胞通过细胞凋亡和细胞焦亡而死亡。TL4/NOX2 的激活导致了子宫纤维化，导致子宫内膜变薄。PS-MPs 对卵巢功能、卵母细胞成熟和卵母细胞质量有负面影响。此外，PS-MPs 破坏了海洋动物的下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴，导致孵化率和后代体型下降，产生跨代效应。它还降低了繁殖力并产生生殖细胞凋亡。本综述的主要重点是探讨 PS-MPs 对女性生殖系统产生不利影响的不同机制和途径。
