ArticleEnvironmental health perspectives2021
The Kidney-Related Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Human Kidney Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cells HK-2 and Male C57BL/6 Mice.
Article in Environmental health perspectives, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 109 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
109 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 329 citations in OpenAlex.
- Micro- and nanoplastics in the human genitourinary system: oncological impact - a systematic review.BJU international · 2026Pooled it
- Molecular and Cellular Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular, Nervous, Urinary, Digestive, and Reproductive System Diseases: A Global Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Pooled it
- Toxicological effects of micro/nano-plastics on mouse/rat models: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Engineered and Weathered Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Microplastics and Nanoplastics Induce Form and Size-Dependent Oxidative Stress, Oxidative DNA Damage, and Cytotoxicity in MCF-7 Cells.Environmental toxicology · 2026Article
- Polystyrene Microplastics Induce Nephrotoxicity via Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Autophagy, and Ferroptosis.Journal of applied toxicology : JAT · 2026Review
- Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Human Exposome: Environmental Pathways, Kidney Toxicity, and Implications for Public Health Risk Assessment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- The Biotechnological Applications of Marine Bacteria.Biology · 2026Review
- Micro- and Nanoplastics as Environmental Stressors: Mechanistic Links Among Gut Dysbiosis, Inflammation, and Systemic Health Effects.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Review
- Micro- and Nanoplastic Pollution and Renal Health: Human Evidence, Mechanisms, and Clinical Implications.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Review
- Microplastics and nanoplastics in human toxicity: ROS-mediated mechanisms, cellular damage and systemic effects.Molecular biology reports · 2026Review
- Microplastic-induced changes in the rainbow trout gut: Insights from transcriptomic, proteomic, and microbial approaches.Veterinarni medicina · 2026Article
- Effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the kidneys.Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association · 2026Review
- Multi-omics and genetic prioritization identify candidate molecular links between micro- and nanoplastics-associated signatures and chronic kidney disease.Molecular diversity · 2026Article
- Dietary Microplastic Exposure in Athletes: Implications for Metabolism, Gut Health, and Performance.Nutrients · 2026Review
- 4-Phenylbutyric acid attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated polystyrene microplastic-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats.Molecular biology reports · 2026Article
- Gut and Glomerular Barriers Determine Nanoplastic Fate and Systemic Impact.ACS environmental Au · 2026Article
- Review
- Article
- Microplastics as both a driver of genitourinary cancers and a deliverer of treatments.Communications medicine · 2026Review
- Microplastics induce liver inflammation in cattle through the rumen microbiota-gut-liver axis.Microbiome · 2026Article
49 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundUnderstanding the epidemic of chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology may be critical for health policies and public health responses. Recent studies have shown that microplastics (MPs) contaminate our food chain and accumulate in the gut, liver, kidney, muscle, and so on. Humans manufacture many plastics-related products. Previous studies have indicated that particles of these products have several effects on the gut and liver. Polystyrene (PS)-MPs (PS-MPs) induce several responses, such as oxidative stress, and affect living organisms.
objectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PS-MPs in kidney cells
methodsPS-MPs were evaluated in human kidney proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) and male C57BL/6 mice. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, inflammation, and autophagy were analyzed in kidney cells.
resultsUptake of PS-MPs at different concentrations by HK-2 cells resulted in higher levels of mitochondrial ROS and the mitochondrial protein Bad. Cells exposed to PS-MPs had higher ER stress and markers of inflammation. MitoTEMPO, which is a mitochondrial ROS antioxidant, mitigated the higher levels of mitochondrial ROS, Bad, ER stress, and specific autophagy-related proteins seen with PS-MP exposure. Furthermore, cells exposed to PS-MPs had higher protein levels of LC3 and Beclin 1. PS-MPs also had changes in phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase B (AKT)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (mTOR) signaling pathways. In an
conclusionsThe results suggest that PS-MPs caused mitochondrial dysfunction, ER stress, inflammation, and autophagy in kidney cells and accumulated in HK-2 cells and in the kidneys of mice. These results suggest that long-term PS-MPs exposure may be a risk factor for kidney health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7612.
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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.