ArticleEnvironmental science and pollution research international2021
Polystyrene microplastics induce blood-testis barrier disruption regulated by the MAPK-Nrf2 signaling pathway in rats.
Article in Environmental science and pollution research international, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
50 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 173 citations in OpenAlex.
- Targeting Modifiable Risks: Molecular Mechanisms and Population Burden of Lifestyle Factors on Male Genitourinary Health.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic review of potential developmental and reproductive toxicity of microplastics.Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology · 2025Pooled it
- Toxicological effects of micro/nano-plastics on mouse/rat models: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Polystyrene Microplastics Induce Nephrotoxicity via Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Autophagy, and Ferroptosis.Journal of applied toxicology : JAT · 2026Review
- Molecular Mechanisms of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Emerging-Pollutant Toxicity in Human Reproduction: From Xenobiotic Exposure to Fertility Impairment and Reproductive Carcinogenesis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Polystyrene Nanoplastics Induce Early Mitochondrial Dysfunction in H9c2 Cardiomyoblasts Without Substantial Cell Damage.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Microplastics and male reproductive system: A comprehensive review based on cellular and molecular effects.Toxicology reports · 2026Review
- Postnatal development outcomes in mice after gestational exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Article
- The Environmental Pathways and Veterinary Health Implications of Microplastics and Nanoplastics: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Emerging Contaminants from a One Health Perspective.Veterinary sciences · 2026Review
- Inflammation-Driven Remodeling of the Blood-Testis Barrier: Roles of Junctional Complexes, Actin Dynamics, and Kinase Signaling.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Testicular mitochondrial redox imbalance and impaired oxidative phosphorylation underlie microplastic-induced testicular dysfunction in Wistar rats.Frontiers in toxicology · 2026Article
- Reproductive success in the anthropocene: A view through a One Health lens.The anthropocene review · 2025Review
- Co-exposure to microplastics and bisphenol A increases viral susceptibility in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) via oxidative stress.Advanced biotechnology · 2025Article
- Endocrine Disrupting Agents: Toxicological Aspects on Male Reproduction.Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) · 2025Review
- Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Micro- and Nanoplastics Driving Adverse Human Health Effects.Toxics · 2025Review
- Protective Effects and Potential Mechanisms of D-Aspartate on Testicular Damage Induced by Polystyrene Microplastics.Biomolecules · 2025Article
- Article
- Forever particles: histochemistry in the plasticene age.European journal of histochemistry : EJH · 2025Review
- Toxicity and absorption of polystyrene micro-nanoplastics in healthy and Crohn's disease human duodenum-chip models.Journal of hazardous materials · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
As a persistent pollutant, microplastics (MPs) have been reported to induce sperm quantity decrease in mice. However, the related mechanism remains obscure. Therefore, this study is intended to explore the effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on male reproduction and its related mechanism of blood-testis barrier (BTB) impairment. Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats were divided randomly into four groups fed with PS-MPs for 90 days at doses of 0 mg/day (control group), 0.015 mg/day, 0.15 mg/day, and 1.5 mg/day, respectively. The present results have shown that PS-MP exposure led to the damage of seminiferous tubule, resulted in apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, and decreased the motility and concentration of sperm, while the abnormality of sperm was elevated. Meanwhile, PS-MPs could induce oxidative stress and activate the p38 MAPK pathway and thus deplete the nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2). Noteworthily, PS-MPs led to the BTB-related protein expression decrease. All these results demonstrated that PS-MP exposure may lead to the destruction of BTB integrity and the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells through the activation of the MAPK-Nrf2 pathway. The current study provided novelty evidence for elucidating the effects of PS-MPs on male reproductive toxicity and its potential mechanism.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.