Journal Article

Polystyrene microplastic particles induce endothelial activation

Vlacil, Ann-Kathrin, Bänfer, Sebastian, Jacob, Ralf, Grote, Karsten, Schieffer, Bernhard, Trippel, Nicole, Kuzu, Istemi

2021

Overview

Due to its increasing production, durability and multiple applications, plastic is a material we encounter every day. Small plastic particles from the μm to the mm range are classified as microplastics and produced for cosmetic and medical products, but are also a result of natural erosion and decomposition of macroplastics. Although being omnipresent in our environment and already detected in various organisms, less is known about the effects of microplastics on humans in general, or on vascular biology in particular. Here we investigated the effects of carboxylated polystyrene microplastic particles (PS, 1 μm) on murine endothelial and immune cells, which are both crucially involved in vascular inflammation, using in vitro and in vivo approaches. In vitro , PS induced adhesion molecule expression in endothelial cells with subsequent adhesion of leukocytes both under static and flow conditions. In monocytic cells, PS enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and release. Accordingly, administering mice with PS led to enhanced aortic expression of cytokines and adhesion molecules. Furthermore, we identified neutrophils as the PS-clearing blood leukocyte population. The findings from this study for the first time indicate polystyrene microplastic as a new environmental risk factor for endothelial inflammation.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adhesion / Animals / Aorta / Aorta - drug effects / Aorta - metabolism / Biology and Life Sciences / Carboxylic Acids - adverse effects / Cardiology / Cell Line / Cytokines / Cytokines - metabolism / Durability / Endothelial cells / Endothelial Cells - drug effects / Endothelial Cells - metabolism / Environmental risk / Experiments / Gene expression / Health aspects / Humans / Immune system / Inflammation / Inflammation - chemically induced / Inflammation - metabolism / Leukocytes / Leukocytes (neutrophilic) / Leukocytes - drug effects / Leukocytes - metabolism / Liver / Medical equipment / Medical materials / Medicine and Health Sciences / Mice / Mice, Inbred C57BL / Microplastics / Microplastics - adverse effects / Monocytes / Monocytes - drug effects / Monocytes - metabolism / Neutrophils - drug effects / Neutrophils - metabolism / Physical Sciences / Plastic debris / Plastic pollution / Plastics - adverse effects / Polystyrene / Polystyrene resins / Polystyrenes - adverse effects / Research and Analysis Methods / Risk analysis / Risk factors