AUTHOR=Liu Weijia , Zhang Bowen , Yao Qianqian , Feng Xihua , Shen Tianling , Guo Peisen , Wang Panpan , Bai Yitong , Li Bo , Wang Peixi , Li Ruiling , Qu Zhi , Liu Nan 

TITLE=Toxicological effects of micro/nano-plastics on mouse/rat models: a systematic review and meta-analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1103289

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1103289

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Micro/nano-plastics (MNPs) are considered as a heterogeneous class of environmental contaminants and cause multiple toxic effects to biological species. As the commonly used mammalian models, mouse and rat have making great contribution to environmental toxicology and medical health. However, the toxic effects of MNPs haven’t been systematically summarized. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the toxic effects of MNPs to mouse and rat models were conducted. In our work, a total of seven main categories were established in this systematic review, and 24 subcategories were further divided according to the specific physiological significance of the endpoint or the classification of the physiological system which covering all the selected literatures. 1762 biological endpoints are founded and 52.78% of them were significantly affected. It indicates that relative factors including the size, polymer type, concentration and exposure time of MNPs and different sexes of mouse/rat models could significantly affect the biological endpoints, such as the dose-response relationships between MNPs concentration and physiological categories of nervous system, growth, reproduction, digestive tract histopathology and inflammatory cytokine level, etc. MNPs negatively affected the blood glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism and reproduction in mice. The reproductive function of male mice is more sensitive to the toxic effects of MNPs. These findings also provide insights and directions for exploring the evidences and mechanisms of toxic effects of MNPs to human health, and it is clear that more research is required on the pathological mechanisms at the molecular level and the long-term effects of tissue accumulation.