Jeong Seungjin, Lee GyuDae, Park Surye, Son Myeongjoo, Lee Seungjun, Ryu Bomi
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513, Republic of Korea.
Department of Smart Green Technology Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513, Republic of Korea.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Mar;12(9):e2407585. doi: 10.1002/advs.202407585. Epub 2025 Jan 13.
The physical abrasion of plastics from simple everyday entered the food chain, with associated risks recently emphasized. Although many studies have reported the adverse effects of microplastics (MPs) on human, the reproductive implications of continuous exposure to physically abraded polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-MPs remain unexplored. Ingestion of physically abraded PET-MPs (size range: 50-100 µm) in mice from 5 to 34 weeks of age at an annual intake relevant dose of MPs (5 mg week) significantly impaired male reproductive function. Reductions in seminiferous tubule diameter and epithelial height are observed (p < 0.0001), with 32.2% decrease in Leydig cells and 24.3% reduction in testosterone levels (p < 0.05). The epididymis shows marked deterioration in all regions, with total sperm concentration significantly reduce from 17.0 × 10⁶ to 5.3 × 10⁶ (p < 0.01) and decrease motility. Transcriptome analysis demonstrates downregulation of genes related with gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion, testosterone biosynthesis, and Meiosin gene, which is for crucial spermatogenesis. Continuous ingestion of physically abraded PET-MPs from plastic bottles adversely affected testicular and epididymal functions, leading to hormonal imbalances and abnormal sperm production. These findings raise concerns about the impact of commonly used plastics on male reproductive development, highlighting potential risks for future generations.
日常简单活动中塑料的物理磨损进入了食物链，近期相关风险得到了强调。尽管许多研究报告了微塑料（MPs）对人类的不良影响，但持续暴露于物理磨损的聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯（PET）-MPs对生殖的影响仍未得到探索。在5至34周龄的小鼠中，以每年摄入相关剂量的MPs（5毫克/周）摄入物理磨损的PET-MPs（尺寸范围：50 - 100微米），显著损害了雄性生殖功能。观察到生精小管直径和上皮高度减小（p < 0.0001），睾丸间质细胞减少32.2%，睾酮水平降低24.3%（p < 0.05）。附睾各区域均显示出明显恶化，精子总浓度从17.0×10⁶显著降至5.3×10⁶（p < 0.01），且活力下降。转录组分析表明，与促性腺激素释放激素分泌、睾酮生物合成以及对关键精子发生起作用的Meiosin基因相关的基因下调。持续摄入塑料瓶中物理磨损的PET-MPs对睾丸和附睾功能产生不利影响，导致激素失衡和精子生成异常。这些发现引发了人们对常用塑料对雄性生殖发育影响的担忧，凸显了对后代的潜在风险。
