Microplastic-induced multi-organ toxicity: cellular mechanisms and critical roles of organ crosstalk

TL;DR

This paper reviews how microplastics cause damage across multiple organs and systems in the body, highlighting the role of organ communication and long-term health effects.

Contribution

The paper offers a novel integrative perspective by connecting organ-specific toxicity with cross-organ communication and transgenerational effects.

Findings

Microplastics accumulate in organs like the liver, brain, lungs, and kidneys, causing toxicity.

Organ crosstalk, such as gut-liver and gut-brain axes, amplifies systemic toxicity.

Exposure to microplastics can lead to transgenerational health effects.

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive environmental contaminants with significant bioaccumulation potential, posing a growing threat to global health through multi-organ toxicity. This review systematically synthesizes current knowledge on MPs-induced organ-specific damage and its systemic health implications. We detail the accumulation of MPs in major organ systems, including the liver, brain, lungs, kidneys, intestines, heart, and reproductive organs. Furthermore, we emphasize the critical role of inter-organ communication in amplifying toxicity, such as gut-liver axis-mediated hepatotoxicity and gut-brain axis-driven neurotoxicity. Emerging evidence on the transgenerational adverse effects of parental MPs exposure is also discussed. The core cellular and molecular mechanisms across these organs are examined, with a particular focus on oxidative stress, inflammatory activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and programmed cell death. This review is distinct in its integrative approach, offering a novel perspective by synthesizing organ-specific pathologies with cross-organ communication networks and transgenerational effects, thereby providing a more holistic understanding of MPs’ systemic toxicity. Collectively, this review elucidates the exposure-organ damage correlation, analyzes the underlying pathogenic mechanisms, and aims to provide a scientific foundation for public health risk assessment and informed environmental policy formulation.

Diagram illustrating the impact of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) on human health. Inhalation and digestion pathways lead to multiple toxicities: neurotoxicity, pulmonary, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, gut, and reproductive toxicity. Shared mechanisms include oxidative stress, dysregulated cell death, inflammatory response, and mitochondrial dysfunction. It also highlights cross-organ crosstalk between the gut, brain, lungs, and liver, and transgenerational effects on fetal development.

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