Golubska Monika, Kurzyńska Aleksandra, Mierzejewski Karol, Gałęcka Ismena, Całka Jarosław, Bogacka Iwona
Department of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland.
Department of Epizootiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland.
Arch Toxicol. 2025 Aug 17. doi: 10.1007/s00204-025-04151-8.
The increasing global contamination with microplastics (MPs) poses a significant threat to human and animal health. Recent studies suggest that exposure to microplastics contributes to various detrimental hepatic effects, including oxidative stress and metabolic dysregulation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the global liver transcriptome, oxidative stress and selected liver function markers in immature piglets (n = 15) exposed to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MPs for 4 weeks. The animals were divided into three groups: a low-dose MPs exposure group (0.1 g PET MPs/day), a high-dose MPs exposure group (1 g PET MPs/day), and a control group that did not receive MPs. The transcriptome profile of the liver was assessed using RNA-Seq. In addition, markers of oxidative stress (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione transferase, and malondialdehyde) were determined using specific enzymatic assays, and the levels of selected liver function markers (bilirubin, collagen IV, alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase) were measured by ELISA. The results showed that exposure to MPs, especially at a high dose, significantly altered the hepatic transcriptome profile. A low dose of PET MPs changed the expression of 5 genes, while a high dose affected the expression of 24 genes. The differentially expressed genes were associated with several biological processes such as cholesterol metabolism, transferase activity, and oxidation. Moreover, consumption of MPs resulted in increased catalase activity and decreased activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the liver. We also observed an increase in bilirubin and a decrease in collagen type IV, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase content in the liver. These results suggest that PET MPs ingestion may disrupt systemic homeostasis and contribute to liver dysfunction.
全球微塑料（MPs）污染的不断增加对人类和动物健康构成了重大威胁。最近的研究表明，接触微塑料会导致各种有害的肝脏影响，包括氧化应激和代谢失调。本研究的目的是调查暴露于聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯（PET）微塑料4周的未成熟仔猪（n = 15）的肝脏整体转录组、氧化应激和选定的肝功能标志物。将动物分为三组：低剂量微塑料暴露组（0.1克PET微塑料/天）、高剂量微塑料暴露组（1克PET微塑料/天）和未接受微塑料的对照组。使用RNA测序评估肝脏的转录组谱。此外，使用特定的酶促测定法测定氧化应激标志物（过氧化氢酶、超氧化物歧化酶、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶、谷胱甘肽转移酶和丙二醛），并通过酶联免疫吸附测定法测量选定的肝功能标志物（胆红素、IV型胶原、丙氨酸转氨酶和天冬氨酸转氨酶）的水平。结果表明，接触微塑料，尤其是高剂量时，会显著改变肝脏转录组谱。低剂量的PET微塑料改变了5个基因的表达，而高剂量则影响了24个基因的表达。差异表达的基因与几个生物学过程相关，如胆固醇代谢、转移酶活性和氧化。此外，摄入微塑料导致肝脏中过氧化氢酶活性增加，超氧化物歧化酶和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活性降低。我们还观察到肝脏中胆红素增加，IV型胶原、丙氨酸转氨酶和天冬氨酸转氨酶含量降低。这些结果表明，摄入PET微塑料可能会破坏全身稳态并导致肝功能障碍。
