Intergenerational neurotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in offspring mice is mediated by dysfunctional microbe-gut-brain axis

作者：Xing Li, Erkai He, Guangquan Chen, Xinde Cao, Ling Zhao, Xiaoyun Xu, Zhuozhong Fu, Hao Qiu · 发表于：Environment International · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.envint.2024.109026 · 被引用次数：38 · 研究领域：Microplastics and Plastic Pollution、biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties、Graphene and Nanomaterials Applications

Nanoplastics (NPs) are ubiquitous in daily life, posing potential risks to the environment and human. While their negative effects on parental organisms have been extensively studied, intergenerational effects are still in the early stages of investigation. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of maternal exposure to an environmentally relevant level of polystyrene NPs (PSNPs, 100 nm) during gestation and lactation (∼32 days, 50 μg/mouse/day) on neurotoxicity mediated by the microbe-gut-brain axis in offspring mice. Maternal PSNPs exposure significantly increased brain TNF-α level and microglia by 1.43 and 1.48 folds respectively, compared to control, accompanied by nuclear pyknosis and cell vacuolization in cortex and hippocampus. Targeted neurotransmitter metabolomics analysis revealed dysregulation in dopamine and serotonin metabolism. Specifically, dopamine levels increased significantly from 0.007 ng/L to 0.015 ng/L, while N-acetylseroton and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid decreased significantly from 0.002 and 0.929 ng/L to 0.001 and 0.680 ng/L, respectively. Through a combination of 16S rRNA sequencing and biochemical analysis, we discovered that maternal PSNPs exposure led to a depletion of anti-inflammatory bacteria and an enrichment of pro-inflammatory bacteria resulting in intestinal barrier damage, elevated levels of lipopolysaccharide in blood, and subsequent activation of neuroinflammation. Meanwhile, gut bacteria dysbiosis interfered with communication betw...