Daily contact with microplastic particles can provoke the progression of atherosclerosis in male mice, while this effect is absent in females. A team of researchers from the University of California, Riverside, reached this conclusion. The results of their research were made available to readers in the journal Environment International (EnvInter). As part of the experiment, scientists exposed both male and female mice to microplastics (at a level equivalent to what humans consume through water, food, and air) for nine weeks. Male subjects showed a significant increase in atherosclerotic lesions: the volume of plaques increased by 63% in the aorta and more than sixfold in a major chest artery. Similar transformations were not observed in female mice. It is emphasized that both body weight and cholesterol levels in the rodents from both groups remained within the normal range. The study showed that microplastics negatively affect the function of endothelial cells—the inner lining of blood vessels that is the first to bear the brunt of pollutants. Microplastic particles penetrated directly into the vessel walls and were found inside already forming deposits. Furthermore, single-cell sequencing revealed the activation of genes responsible for inflammation, both in the mice and in samples of human cells. The authors emphasize that the results obtained are not directly applicable to the human population yet. Nevertheless, the scientists stressed that the cardiovascular system of humans and mice shares many functional characteristics. It is quite possible that exposure to microplastics could have a similar effect on the risk of developing atherosclerosis in humans as well.
About the Author
