Plastic tableware use, microplastic accumulation, and sperm quality: from epidemiological evidence to FOXA1/p38 mechanistic insights.

ABSTRACT: Microplastics (MPs), as emerging contaminants, may adversely affect male reproductive health. This study investigated the potential association between MP accumulation in human semen and sperm quality. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms underlying MPs-induced sperm quality impairment were characterized using representative polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs), murine models, and spermatogonial cell cultures. Among 200 semen samples, the overall detection rate of MPs was 55.5% (111/200). A total of 128 MPs were identified in semen, with PS (32.03%) and PVC (36.72%) being the predominant microplastic polymers. Epidemiological analyses revealed a significant positive association between plastic tableware (PT) use frequency and MP accumulation in semen. Stratified analyses further revealed a

SUBMITTER: Qu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12512996 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature