Adamiak Kamil, Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz Marta, Dąbrowska-Bouta Beata, Sulkowski Grzegorz, Strużyńska Lidia
Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego Str, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland.
Doctoral School of Translational Medicine, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, 99/103 Marymoncka Str., 01-813, Warsaw, Poland.
Sci Rep. 2025 Feb 22;15(1):6502. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-91248-w.
The continuous increase in plastic production has resulted in increased generation of microplastic particles (MPs), and nanoplastic particles (NPs). Recent evidence suggests that nanoplastics may be a potent neurotoxin because they are able to freely cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. Therefore, the cytotoxic effects of polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) on cellular systems of cerebral origin should be thoroughly investigated. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of 25 nm PS-NPs on in vitro cultured cells such as primary astrocytes, neurons and their co-cultures established from the cerebral cortex of Wistar pups. The results show that PS-NPs are internalized in both neurons and astrocytes, inducing time- and concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects. However, quantification of fluorescence intensity indicates cell type-dependent differences in the efficiency of PS-NPs uptake. Astrocytes are several times more efficient at accumulating PS-NPs than neurons, and this is a phagocytosis-dependent process. Moreover, the high rate of PS-NPs internalization during prolonged exposure (72 h) promotes astroglial activation, as assessed by analysis of GFAP expression and immunocytochemical imaging. The results show that astroglia act as a cellular depot of PS-NPs to protect neurons. However, once the critical threshold is exceeded, astroglia become overactivated and can lose their protective functions. These results highlight the importance of further research on the mechanisms underlying nanoplastic-induced cellular toxicity, which may have implications for understanding the broader impact of plastic pollution on neurological functions.
塑料产量的持续增长导致微塑料颗粒（MPs）和纳米塑料颗粒（NPs）的产生增加。最近的证据表明，纳米塑料可能是一种强效神经毒素，因为它们能够自由穿过血脑屏障并进入大脑。因此，应彻底研究聚苯乙烯纳米颗粒（PS-NPs）对脑源性细胞系统的细胞毒性作用。本研究的目的是评估25 nm PS-NPs对体外培养细胞（如原代星形胶质细胞、神经元及其从Wistar幼崽大脑皮层建立的共培养物）的细胞毒性潜力。结果表明，PS-NPs在神经元和星形胶质细胞中均被内化，诱导时间和浓度依赖性细胞毒性作用。然而，荧光强度的定量分析表明，PS-NPs摄取效率存在细胞类型依赖性差异。星形胶质细胞积累PS-NPs的效率比神经元高几倍，这是一个依赖吞噬作用的过程。此外，通过分析GFAP表达和免疫细胞化学成像评估，长时间暴露（72小时）期间PS-NPs的高内化率促进了星形胶质细胞的激活。结果表明，星形胶质细胞作为PS-NPs的细胞储存库来保护神经元。然而，一旦超过临界阈值，星形胶质细胞就会过度激活并失去其保护功能。这些结果突出了进一步研究纳米塑料诱导细胞毒性的潜在机制的重要性，这可能对理解塑料污染对神经功能的更广泛影响具有重要意义。
