Najahi Hana, Alessio Nicola, Venditti Massimo, Oliveri Conti Gea, Ferrante Margherita, Di Bernardo Giovanni, Galderisi Umberto, Minucci Sergio, Banni Mohamed
Laboratory of Agrobiodiversity and Ecotoxicology LR21AGR02, Sousse University, Chott-Mariem, Sousse 4042, Tunisia.
Higher Institute of Biotechnology, Monastir University, Monastir 1002, Tunisia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Jun 11;22(6):922. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22060922.
Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive environmental pollutants that have raised concerns due to their potential toxic impacts on human health. This study investigates the impact of polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics on Caco-2 cells, a commonly used in vitro model for the intestinal barrier. Caco-2 cells were exposed to MPs of different sizes (1 µm and 2.6 µm) for 72 h. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in cell viability, accompanied by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, suggesting oxidative-stress-induced cytotoxicity. Flow cytometry and Western blot analyses revealed that the MPs induced apoptosis, as evidenced by an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 activation. Additionally, MPs triggered autophagy, indicated by elevated LC3-II levels and decreased p62 expression. The use of bafilomycin A1 further confirmed the enhancement of autophagic flux. These findings highlight the potential cytotoxic effects of MPs on intestinal epithelial cells, raising concerns about their impact on human health.
微塑料（MPs）是普遍存在的环境污染物，因其对人类健康的潜在毒性影响而引发关注。本研究调查了聚乙烯（PE）和聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯（PET）微塑料对Caco-2细胞的影响，Caco-2细胞是一种常用的肠道屏障体外模型。将Caco-2细胞暴露于不同尺寸（1微米和2.6微米）的微塑料中72小时。结果表明细胞活力显著下降，同时活性氧（ROS）生成增加，提示氧化应激诱导的细胞毒性。流式细胞术和蛋白质印迹分析显示，微塑料诱导细胞凋亡，表现为Bax/Bcl-2比值增加和半胱天冬酶-3激活。此外，微塑料引发自噬，表现为LC3-II水平升高和p62表达降低。巴弗洛霉素A1的使用进一步证实了自噬流的增强。这些发现突出了微塑料对肠道上皮细胞的潜在细胞毒性作用，引发了对其对人类健康影响的担忧。
