Polystyrene nanoplastics trigger ferroptosis in Nrf2-deficient gut via ether phospholipid accumulation

作者：Boxuan Liang, Xiyun Huang, Zhiming Li, Yuji Huang, Yanhong Deng, Xiaoqing Chen, Yizhou Zhong, Xiaohong Yang, Yujie Feng, Ruobing Bai, Bingchi Fan, Hongyi Xian, Hao Li, Shiyue Tang, Zhenlie Huang · 发表于：Environment International · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.envint.2025.109367 · 被引用次数：16 · 研究领域：MicroRNA in disease regulation

• PS-NPs induce intestinal epithelial cells ferroptosis, in a form of lipid peroxidation-driven cell death. • Nrf2 plays a crucial protective role in preventing ferroptosis by regulating lipid metabolism and counteracting lipid peroxidation. • PS-NP exposure disrupt ether phospholipid metabolism, leading to heightened lipid peroxidation in the intestines of Nrf2 fl/fl -Vil Cre+ mice. • In high-fat diet, individuals with reduced NRF2 activity may be vulnerable to PS-NP-induced intestinal damage. The widespread environmental presence of nanoplastics (NPs) raises significant concerns about their health impacts, particularly on the gastrointestinal system, as NPs are primarily ingested. While previous studies have linked NP-induced intestinal toxicity to oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, the specific mechanisms of cell death remain unclear. Here, we showed that environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) induced ferroptosis, a form of lipid peroxidation-driven cell death, in intestinal epithelial cells. Using intestinal epithelial-specific Nrf2 -deficient mice ( Nrf2 fl/fl -Vil Cre+ ) and human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells, we demonstrated that Nrf2 , a key oxidative stress regulator, play a protective role against PS-NP-induced ferroptosis. PS-NP exposure disrupted ether phospholipid metabolism, leading to the accumulation of polyunsaturated fatty acid-ether phospholipids and heightened lipid peroxidation in t...