A new study on mice has discovered that microplastics escape the gut to infiltrate other vital organs in the body, posing health risks.
Microplastics
Any plastic with a length not exceeding five millimeters is considered a microplastic. These tiny plastic particles are typically found in beauty products and industrial waste. However, they could also form larger plastic breakdown pieces as time passes.
Several microplastics end up in the oceans, which are thought to contain roughly 50 trillion to 75 trillion pieces of microplastics and bigger plastics. Eliseo Castillo, an associate professor at the University of New Mexico's Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, says these particles are everywhere.
Health Risks
The prevalent presence of these particles is quite concerning as they contain chemicals that have been shown to disrupt the body's natural hormone release. This could potentially boost the risk of some cancers and reproductive disorders. They may also carry toxins, such as heavy metals, over their surface.
Earlier research has revealed that microplastics could affect the health of gut bacteria balance. However, a new study shows that these microplastics do not just remain in the digestive system.
From Gut to Vital Organs
As part of the "In Vivo Tissue Distribution of Polystyrene or Mixed Polymer Microspheres and Metabolomic Analysis after Oral Exposure in Mice" study, the researchers exposed a mouse group to microplastics in the water they drank. The levels were equivalent to concentrations that humans are exposed to daily.
Four weeks later, the researchers observed that the microplastics went beyond the mice's guts. The particles appeared to infiltrate tissues in their kidneys, livers, and even brains.
Castillo explains that microplastics can be picked up in specific tissues after exposure. This shows that the particles can penetrate the intestinal barrier and infiltrate other tissues.
There was also proof that the particles changed the metabolism of the affected tissues.
However, the findings were notably concerning because these effects were observed just four weeks post-exposure. Castillo explains how this could translate to a human context, wherein exposure begins at birth and persists until age.
The researchers hope to see if diet could impact microplastic spread within the body. Castillo explains that everyone has a different diet. Hence, what they will do is give the lab animals a high-fiber diet or a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet. The animals will also be exposed or not exposed to such plastic particles. This will be done to see if diet could impact microplastic updates within the body.
The team hopes to unravel a comprehensive picture of how such particles impact the human body. Castillo explains that they want to know how this could affect gut health, as research keeps revealing how important it is. If one does not have a healthy gut, this could affect the liver, brain, and other tissues.
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