Differential Impacts of Environmentally Relevant Microplastics on Gut Barrier Integrity in Mice Fed High-Fat Diet Versus Normal Chow Diet.

ABSTRACT: Despite escalating global pollution from microplastics (MPs) and the concurrent surge in high-fat food consumption, the health impacts of MP exposure on individuals under different dietary patterns remain poorly understood. This study investigated the differential effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics (5 μm, 8 mg/kg) on gut barrier function in mice fed either a normal chow diet (CD) or a high-fat diet (HFD). Key findings revealed that, in HFD-fed mice, MP exposure significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the transcriptional levels of genes encoding the tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1), as well as the mucin protein Muc-2, accompanied by decreased protein expression levels of these markers in both colonic and ileal tissues. In contrast

SUBMITTER: Niu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12388625 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature