Niu Huixia, Liu Shaojie, Jiang Yujie, Hu Yang, Li Yahui, He Luyang, Xing Mingluan, Li Xueqing, Wu Lizhi, Chen Zhijian, Wang Xiaofeng, Lou Xiaoming
Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315000, China.
Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
Metabolites. 2023 Jun 9;13(6):739. doi: 10.3390/metabo13060739.
Emerging studies have presented an initial picture of the toxic effects of exposure to environmental micro- and nanoplastics. They have indicated that micro- and nanoplastics may induce toxicity by leading to oxidative stress, energy metabolism disorders, gene damage, and so forth in environmental organisms, marine invertebrates and vertebrates, and laboratory mouse models. In recent years, micro- and nanoplastics have been discovered in human fecal samples, placentas, lung tissue, and even blood; thus, micro- and nanoplastics pose an alarming and ever-increasing threat to global public health. However, current research on the health effects of micro- and nanoplastics and the possible adverse outcomes in humans has only presented the tip of the iceberg. More robust clinical data and basic experiments are still warranted to elucidate the specific relationships and mechanisms. In this paper, we review studies on micro- and nanoplastic toxicity from the perspectives of eco-toxicity, the adverse effects on invertebrates and vertebrates, and the impact of micro- and nanoplastics on the gut microbiota and its metabolites. In addition, we evaluate the toxicological role of micro- and nanoplastic exposure and its potential implications in respect to human health. We also summarize studies regarding preventive strategies. Overall, this review provides insights on micro- and nanoplastic toxicity and its underlying mechanisms, opening up scientific avenues for future in-depth studies.
新兴研究已经呈现了接触环境中的微塑料和纳米塑料所产生的毒性效应的初步情况。这些研究表明，微塑料和纳米塑料可能通过在环境生物、海洋无脊椎动物和脊椎动物以及实验室小鼠模型中导致氧化应激、能量代谢紊乱、基因损伤等而诱发毒性。近年来，在人类粪便样本、胎盘、肺组织甚至血液中都发现了微塑料和纳米塑料；因此，微塑料和纳米塑料对全球公共卫生构成了令人担忧且不断增加的威胁。然而，目前关于微塑料和纳米塑料对健康的影响以及在人类中可能产生的不良后果的研究仅仅触及了冰山一角。仍需要更有力的临床数据和基础实验来阐明具体的关系和机制。在本文中，我们从生态毒性、对无脊椎动物和脊椎动物的不良影响以及微塑料和纳米塑料对肠道微生物群及其代谢产物的影响等角度综述了关于微塑料和纳米塑料毒性的研究。此外，我们评估了接触微塑料和纳米塑料的毒理学作用及其对人类健康的潜在影响。我们还总结了有关预防策略的研究。总体而言，本综述提供了关于微塑料和纳米塑料毒性及其潜在机制的见解，为未来的深入研究开辟了科学途径。
