Chronic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on reproductive parameters of male rats

Ilechukwu, Ifenna; Ehigiator, Ben Enoluomen; Ben, Inemesit Okon; Okonkwo, Chinedu Joseph; Olorunfemi, Oluwakemi S.; Modo, Uchechukwu Emmanuel; Ilechukwu, Chibuamam; Ohagwa, Ngozika Juliet

doi:10.5620/eaht.2022015

Cited by 27 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 49 publications

(57 reference statements)

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“…Also, GSH, GPX, GST and SOD experienced no significant change in the MP exposure groups compared to the control indicating the antioxidant enzyme system was not disrupted following exposure in the current study. Yasin et al [ 39 ] showed that MDA levels were elevated when rats were orally administered polystyrene nanoparticles for 5 weeks while Ilechukwu et al [ 40 ] reported no significant change in GSH, GPX and MDA levels of male rats that were exposed to 10% microplastics. One possible explanation for the observed trend of no relative change in oxidative stress markers following PSP and FP exposure could be that the bioavailability of the 1–10% microplastic dosage used in the present study was not high enough to cause oxidative damage in the male and female rats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of polystyrene microplastic exposure on lipid profile and oxidative stress status of male and female Wistar rats

Nnoruka

Okonkwo

Ilechukwu

et al. 2022

Environ Anal Health Toxicol

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Microplastics (MPs) are currently global environmental pollutants, and their associated health risks cannot be ignored. However, research on MP toxicity in mammals is limited. We investigated the effects of polystyrene microplastic (PS-MP) particles on the lipid profile and oxidative stress markers of Wistar rats. Two forms of PS-MP-pristine polystyrene and Styrofoam microplastics-particles of diameter <5 mm were used in this study. Each form was separately incorporated into rat feed in varying proportions of 1, 5 and 10%. A total of seventy rats (thirty-five male and thirty-five female rats) were used for this study and were separately distributed into seven groups of five rats each. The rats were then randomly assigned to a control group which received normal rat feed and water and six (6) test groups which were fed varying percentages (1, 5 and 10) of polystyrene microplastics diet for a period of 90 days. The rats were sacrificed under mild diethyl ether anesthesia 12 hr after cessation of treatment and blood was collected for lipid profile and oxidative stress analyses. Results obtained showed that oral exposure to microplastics caused decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and increased low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the rats. In contrast, there were no significant changes in oxidative stress parameters in the rats following microplastics exposure. Atherogenic indices in the PS-MP exposed rats differed according to gender. These results indicated that PS-MP dietary exposure may lead to dyslipidemia and male rats had higher cardiovascular risk.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of polystyrene microplastic exposure on lipid profile and oxidative stress status of male and female Wistar rats

Nnoruka

Okonkwo

Ilechukwu

et al. 2022

Environ Anal Health Toxicol

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“…Scientific knowledge about the health risks posed by MP pollution on wildlife and humans is growing but, at the same time, remains extremely limited, specially when considering critical biological functions, such as reproduction. MP have recently been shown to affect mammalian testicular physiology by inducing inflammation, oxidative stress, impairment of the SE cytoarchitecture and BTB integrity, ultimately, leading to abnormal differentiation of mature gametes ( Hou et al, 2021 ; Jin et al, 2021 ; 2022 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Wei et al, 2021 ; Ilechukwu et al, 2022 ; Wen et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The simultaneous administration of microplastics and cadmium alters rat testicular activity and changes the expression of PTMA, DAAM1 and PREP

Venditti

Hassine

Messaoudi

et al. 2023

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

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This paper confirms the damaging effects produced by MP and Cd on testicular activity in the rat. Oral treatment with both chemicals resulted in testicular damage, documented by biomolecular and histological alterations, particularly by impaired morphometric parameters, increased apoptosis, reduced testosterone synthesis, and downregulation of the steroidogenic enzyme 3β-HSD. We also demonstrated, for the first time, that both MP and Cd can affect the protein level of PTMA, a small peptide that regulates germ cell proliferation and differentiation. Interestingly, the cytoarchitecture of testicular cells was also altered by the treatments, as evidenced by the impaired expression and localization of DAAM1 and PREP, two proteins involved in actin- and microtubule-associated processes, respectively, during germ cells differentiation into spermatozoa, impairing normal spermatogenesis. Finally, we showed that the effect of simultaneous treatment with MP and Cd were more severe than those produced by MP alone and less harmful than those of Cd alone. This could be due to the different ways of exposure of the two substances to rats (in drinking water for Cd and in oral gavage for MP), since being the first contact in the animals’ gastrointestinal tract, MP can adsorb Cd, reducing its bioavailability through the Trojan-horse effect.

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“…Researches have found that the semen quality and serum testosterone levels of rats exposed to MPs are significantly reduced, the sperm deformity rate is increased, the testicular tissue structure is abnormal, and oxidative stress is active, leading to reproductive dysfunction. [19,20] This shows that MPs pose a great threat to male reproductive health, so it is urgent to find a treatment method for male infertility caused by MPs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical study on the treatment of male infertility with Wuwei Fuzheng Yijing decoction based on microplastics: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

et al. 2022

Medicine

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Background: Environmental pollution and male infertility have become global public health problems. The presence of microplastics (MPs) has been detected in the human body, and it has also been demonstrated that MPs can cause damage to the reproductive system. Wuwei Fuzheng Yijing Decoction (WWFZYJ) is effective in treating male infertility. Therefore, we designed a clinical randomized controlled trial to observe the effect of WWFZYJ on the content of MPs and semen quality in male infertility patients, and to evaluate its security. Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 66 eligible patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a treatment group (WWFZYJ Decoction) and a control group (Coenzyme Q10 tablets combined with vitamin E soft capsules) for 8 weeks. The content of MPs in semen, sperm DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI), and semen analysis (including sperm density, sperm count, forward motile sperm, sperm motility, etc) will be used as primary indicators, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome scores will be used as secondary indicators. Vital signs (such as respiration, heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, electrocardiogram, etc), blood routine, urine routine, stool routine, liver function, and renal function will be used as safety indicators. The primary and secondary indicators will be performed at 0th and 8th week, and the safety indicators will be performed at 0th, 4th, and 8th week. Discussion: This study will provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of WWFZYJ in treating male infertility and reducing the content of MPs in semen, and further explore the effects of MPs on male fertility.

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Chronic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on reproductive parameters of male rats

Cited by 27 publications

References 49 publications

Impact of polystyrene microplastic exposure on lipid profile and oxidative stress status of male and female Wistar rats

Impact of polystyrene microplastic exposure on lipid profile and oxidative stress status of male and female Wistar rats

The simultaneous administration of microplastics and cadmium alters rat testicular activity and changes the expression of PTMA, DAAM1 and PREP

Clinical study on the treatment of male infertility with Wuwei Fuzheng Yijing decoction based on microplastics: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

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