2023-08-24 ロードアイランド大学(URI)
◆ロードアイランド大学のJaime Ross教授らの研究では、マイクロプラスチックへの暴露が神経行動への影響、炎症反応、脳などの組織への蓄積に及ぼす影響が調査されました。その結果、高齢者において特に行動の変化が見られ、マイクロプラスチックが体内に広く分布していることが示唆されました。研究は、マイクロプラスチックが健康への潜在的なリスクを示唆し、今後の研究が必要であることを強調しています。
<関連情報>
- https://www.uri.edu/news/2023/08/microplastics-infiltrate-all-systems-of-body-cause-behavioral-changes/
- https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/15/12308
マイクロプラスチックへの急性暴露は老齢・若年マウスに行動と炎症の変化を誘発した Acute Exposure to Microplastics Induced Changes in Behavior and Inflammation in Young and Old Mice
Lauren Gaspar,Sydney Bartman,Giuseppe Coppotelli andJaime M. Ross
International Journal of Molecular Science Published: 1 August 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512308
Abstract
Environmental pollutants have become quite ubiquitous over the past two centuries; of those, plastics, and in particular, microplastics (<5 mm), are among the most pervasive pollutants. Microplastics (MPs) have found their way into the air, water system, and food chain and are either purposely produced or are derived from the breakdown of larger plastic materials. Despite the societal advancements that plastics have allowed, the mismanagement of plastic waste has become a pressing global issue. Pioneering studies on MPs toxicity have shown that exposure to MPs induces oxidative stress, inflammation, and decreased cell viability in marine organisms. Current research suggests that these MPs are transported throughout the environment and can accumulate in human tissues; however, research on the health effects of MPs, especially in mammals, is still very limited. This has led our group to explore the biological and cognitive consequences of exposure to MPs in a rodent model. Following a three-week exposure to water treated with fluorescently-labeled pristine polystyrene MPs, young and old C57BL/6J mice were assessed using behavioral assays, such as open-field and light–dark preference, followed by tissue analyses using fluorescent immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and qPCR. Data from these assays suggest that short-term exposure to MPs induces both behavioral changes as well as alterations in immune markers in liver and brain tissues. Additionally, we noted that these changes differed depending on age, indicating a possible age-dependent effect. These findings suggest the need for further research to better understand the mechanisms by which microplastics may induce physiological and cognitive changes.
