The Effect of Microplastics Exposure on Female and Their Offspring Health

doi:10.12280/gjszjk.20230418

Abstract

Abstract:

Microplastics (MPs) refer to plastics with a diameter of less than 5 mm. As a new environmental pollutant, MPs can enter the body through the respiratory tract, digestive tract and skin, and then deposit in multiple tissues such as the intestine, liver and ovary. MPs exposure has toxic effects on the female reproductive system by affecting follicle development, oocyte quality and sex hormone levels through apoptosis, oxidative stress and disorders of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, thereby reducing female fertility. Moreover, recent studies have found that MPs can enter the placenta and lead to the abnormal placental metabolism, immune imbalance at the maternal and fetal interface, and the impaired placental structure. MPs can further enter the offspring through the placental barrier after maternal exposure to MPs, causing adverse effects on the neural, digestive, reproductive and other multiple systems of the offspring. Given the toxicity of MPs and the persistence in environment, the exposure to MPs should be reduced in daily life to prevent human from the harm of MPs.

Key words: Microplastics, Environmental exposure, Ovarian follicle, Growth and development, Fertility, Reproductive health

WU Jing, LIU Cong, XIE Qing-zhen. The Effect of Microplastics Exposure on Female and Their Offspring Health[J]. Journal of International Reproductive Health/Family Planning, 2024, 43(2): 155-158.

References 32

[1]	Thompson RC, Olsen Y, Mitchell RP, et al. Lost at sea: where is all the plastic?[J]. Science, 2004, 304(5672):838. doi: 10.1126/science.1094559. pmid: 15131299
[2]	Ding J, Zhu D, Wang HT, et al. Dysbiosis in the Gut Microbiota of Soil Fauna Explains the Toxicity of Tire Tread Particles[J]. Environ Sci Technol, 2020, 54(12):7450-7460. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c00917.
[3]	Senathirajah K, Attwood S, Bhagwat G, et al. Estimation of the mass of microplastics ingested-A pivotal first step towards human health risk assessment[J]. J Hazard Mater, 2021, 404(Pt B):124004. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124004.
[4]	Ibrahim YS, Tuan Anuar S, Azmi AA, et al. Detection of microplastics in human colectomy specimens[J]. JGH Open, 2021, 5(1):116-121. doi: 10.1002/jgh3.12457. pmid: 33490620
[5]	Zhang J, Wang L, Trasande L, et al. Occurrence of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polycarbonate Microplastics in Infant and Adult Feces[J]. Environ Sci Technol Lett, 2021, 8(11):989-994. doi: 10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00559.
[6]	Ranjan VP, Joseph A, Goel S. Microplastics and other harmful substances released from disposable paper cups into hot water[J]. J Hazard Mater, 2021, 404(Pt B):124118. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124118.
[7]	Cox KD, Covernton GA, Davies HL, et al. Human Consumption of Microplastics[J]. Environ Sci Technol, 2019, 53(12):7068-7074. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01517.
[8]	Jenner LC, Rotchell JM, Bennett RT, et al. Detection of microplastics in human lung tissue using μFTIR spectroscopy[J]. Sci Total Environ, 2022,831:154907. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154907.
[9]	Abbasi S, Turner A. Human exposure to microplastics: A study in Iran[J]. J Hazard Mater, 2021,403:123799. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123799.
[10]	Liu Z, Zhuan Q, Zhang L, et al. Polystyrene microplastics induced female reproductive toxicity in mice[J]. J Hazard Mater, 2022, 424(Pt C):127629. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127629.
[11]	Haddadi A, Kessabi K, Boughammoura S, et al. Exposure to microplastics leads to a defective ovarian function and change in cytoskeleton protein expression in rat[J]. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2022, 29(23):34594-34606. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-18218-3.
[12]	Hou J, Lei Z, Cui L, et al. Polystyrene microplastics lead to pyroptosis and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells via NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway in rats[J]. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2021,212:112012. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112012.
[13]	Wang J, Li Y, Lu L, et al. Polystyrene microplastics cause tissue damages, sex-specific reproductive disruption and transgenerational effects in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)[J]. Environ Pollut, 2019, 254(Pt B):113024. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113024.
[14]	An R, Wang X, Yang L, et al. Polystyrene microplastics cause granulosa cells apoptosis and fibrosis in ovary through oxidative stress in rats[J]. Toxicology, 2021,449:152665. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2020.152665.
[15]	Immediata V, Ronchetti C, Spadaro D, et al. Oxidative Stress and Human Ovarian Response-From Somatic Ovarian Cells to Oocytes Damage: A Clinical Comprehensive Narrative Review[J]. Antioxidants (Basel), 2022, 11(7):1335. doi: 10.3390/antiox11071335.
[16]	Rochman CM, Kurobe T, Flores I, et al. Early warning signs of endocrine disruption in adult fish from the ingestion of polyethylene with and without sorbed chemical pollutants from the marine environment[J]. Sci Total Environ, 2014, 493:656-661. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.051.
[17]	Ragusa A, Svelato A, Santacroce C, et al. Plasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in human placenta[J]. Environ Int, 2021, 146:106274. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106274.
[18]	Zhu L, Zhu J, Zuo R, et al. Identification of microplastics in human placenta using laser direct infrared spectroscopy[J]. Sci Total Environ, 2023, 856(Pt 1):159060. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159060.
[19]	Dusza HM, Katrukha EA, Nijmeijer SM, et al. Uptake, Transport, and Toxicity of Pristine and Weathered Micro- and Nanoplastics in Human Placenta Cells[J]. Environ Health Perspect, 2022, 130(9):97006. doi: 10.1289/EHP10873.
[20]	Chen G, Xiong S, Jing Q, et al. Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles retarded fetal growth and triggered metabolic disorders of placenta and fetus in mice[J]. Sci Total Environ, 2023, 854:158666. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158666.
[21]	Aghaei Z, Mercer GV, Schneider CM, et al. Maternal exposure to polystyrene microplastics alters placental metabolism in mice[J]. Metabolomics, 2022, 19(1):1. doi: 10.1007/s11306-022-01967-8. pmid: 36538272
[22]	Hu J, Qin X, Zhang J, et al. Polystyrene microplastics disturb maternal-fetal immune balance and cause reproductive toxicity in pregnant mice[J]. Reprod Toxicol, 2021, 106:42-50. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2021.10.002. pmid: 34626775
[23]	Hu J, Zhu Y, Zhang J, et al. The potential toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics to human trophoblasts in vitro[J]. Environ Pollut, 2022,311:119924. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119924.
[24]	Pitt JA, Trevisan R, Massarsky A, et al. Maternal transfer of nanoplastics to offspring in zebrafish (Danio rerio): A case study with nanopolystyrene[J]. Sci Total Environ, 2018, 643:324-334. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.186.
[25]	Cui R, Kim SW, An YJ. Polystyrene nanoplastics inhibit reproduction and induce abnormal embryonic development in the freshwater crustacean Daphnia galeata[J]. Sci Rep, 2017, 7(1):12095. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-12299-2. pmid: 28935955
[26]	Huang JP, Hsieh PC, Chen CY, et al. Nanoparticles can cross mouse placenta and induce trophoblast apoptosis[J]. Placenta, 2015, 36(12):1433-1441. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2015.10.007.
[27]	Yang D, Zhu J, Zhou X, et al. Polystyrene micro- and nano-particle coexposure injures fetal thalamus by inducing ROS-mediated cell apoptosis[J]. Environ Int, 2022,166:107362. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107362.
[28]	Jeong B, Baek JY, Koo J, et al. Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics causes brain abnormalities in progeny[J]. J Hazard Mater, 2022,426:127815. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127815.
[29]	Luo T, Zhang Y, Wang C, et al. Maternal exposure to different sizes of polystyrene microplastics during gestation causes metabolic disorders in their offspring[J]. Environ Pollut, 2019, 255(Pt 1):113122. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113122.
[30]	Luo T, Wang C, Pan Z, et al. Maternal Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure during Gestation and Lactation Altered Metabolic Homeostasis in the Dams and Their F1 and F2 Offspring[J]. Environ Sci Technol, 2019, 53(18):10978-10992. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b03191.
[31]	Huang T, Zhang W, Lin T, et al. Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics during gestation and lactation induces hepatic and testicular toxicity in male mouse offspring[J]. Food Chem Toxicol, 2022,160:112803. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2021.112803.
[32]	Zhang Y, Wang X, Zhao Y, et al. Reproductive toxicity of microplastics in female mice and their offspring from induction of oxidative stress[J]. Environ Pollut, 2023,327:121482. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121482.