Intestinal Barrier Damage and Growth Retardation Caused by Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Through Lactation Milk in Developing Mice
Chaoyu Zhou,
Haiyan Wu,
Lei Zhang,
Xiao Xiao,
Xiaodan Wang,
Mingju Li,
Runqiu Cai,
Jia You,
Qi Chen,
Yifei Yang,
Xinyuan Tian,
Qianyu Bai,
Yinzhu Chen,
Huihui Bao,
Tianlong Liu
Affiliations
Chaoyu Zhou
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Haiyan Wu
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Lei Zhang
Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit, NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100022, China
Xiao Xiao
Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit, NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100022, China
Xiaodan Wang
Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit, NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100022, China
Mingju Li
Yantai Animal Disease Control Center, Yantai 264003, China
Runqiu Cai
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Jia You
Yantai Agricultural Technology Extension Center, Yantai 264001, China
Qi Chen
Livestock and Veterinary Development Center of Zoucheng, Hong Kong, China
Yifei Yang
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Xinyuan Tian
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Qianyu Bai
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Yinzhu Chen
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Huihui Bao
Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit, NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100022, China
Tianlong Liu
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Microplastics, defined as plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm, degrade from larger pollutants, with nanoscale microplastic particles presenting significant biological interactions. This study investigates the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) on juvenile mice, which were exposed through lactation milk and drinking water at concentrations of 0.01 mg/mL, 0.1 mg/mL, and 1 mg/mL. The results show that PS-NP exposure during lactation and juvenile periods caused delayed weight gain and impaired organ development, particularly in the liver and kidneys, without causing functional abnormalities or toxic injuries. The primary toxicity of PS-NPs was observed in the intestinal tract, including shortened villi, disrupted tight junctions, inhibited epithelial cell proliferation, and oxidative stress responses. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating the developmental toxicity of nanoplastics at environmentally relevant doses.
