Research Center for Universal Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China; Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Early Warning and Intervention Technology and Countermeasure Research for Major Public Health Events, People's Republic of China.
Institute of Preventive Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China; Institute of Chronic Diseases, Liaoning Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenyang, People's Republic of China.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2024 Aug;281:116660. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116660. Epub 2024 Jun 29.
Environmental accumulation of nano- and microplastics pose serious risks to human health. Polystyrene (PS) is a polymer commonly used in the production of plastics. However, PS can adsorb cadmium (Cd), thereby influencing bioavailability and toxicity in vivo. Moreover, PS and Cd can accumulate in the mammalian kidney. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effects of combined exposure to PS and Cd in the kidney. Kidney damage was evaluated in male mice gavaged with PS (diameter, 100 nm and/or 1 μm) and Cd for 25 days.The results showed that PS at 100 nm caused more severe oxidative damage and cell apoptosis than PS at 1 μm. Combined exposure to PS at both 100 nm and 1 μm caused more severe kidney damage than the single administration groups. The extent of kidney toxicity caused by Cd differed with the combination of PS particles at 100 nm vs. 1 μm. The degree of damage to kidney function, pathological changes, and cell apoptosis induced by Cd+100 nm PS+1μm PS was the most severe. An increase in the Bax/Bcl2 ratio and overexpression of p53 and caspase-3 revealed that renal cell apoptosis might be induced via the mitochondrial pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the size of PS particles dictates the combined effects of PS and Cd in kidney tissues. Kidney damage caused by the combination of different sizes of PS particle and Cd is more complicated under actual environmental conditions.
环境中纳米和微塑料的积累对人类健康构成严重威胁。聚苯乙烯（PS）是一种常用于塑料生产的聚合物。然而，PS 可以吸附镉（Cd），从而影响体内的生物利用度和毒性。此外，PS 和 Cd 可以在哺乳动物肾脏中积累。因此，本研究旨在评估 PS 和 Cd 联合暴露在肾脏中的影响。通过给雄性小鼠灌胃 PS（直径为 100nm 和/或 1μm）和 Cd 25 天来评估肾脏损伤。结果表明，100nm 的 PS 比 1μm 的 PS 引起更严重的氧化损伤和细胞凋亡。与单一给药组相比，100nm 和 1μm 的 PS 联合暴露引起更严重的肾脏损伤。Cd 引起的肾脏毒性程度因 100nm PS 与 1μm PS 的组合而有所不同。Cd+100nm PS+1μm PS 引起的肾功能损伤、病理变化和细胞凋亡程度最为严重。Bax/Bcl2 比值增加以及 p53 和 caspase-3 的过度表达表明，肾细胞凋亡可能是通过线粒体途径诱导的。总之，这些发现表明 PS 颗粒的大小决定了 PS 和 Cd 在肾脏组织中的联合效应。在实际环境条件下，不同大小的 PS 颗粒和 Cd 的组合引起的肾脏损伤更为复杂。
