ArticleEnvironmental science & technology2022
Metabolomics Reveal Nanoplastic-Induced Mitochondrial Damage in Human Liver and Lung Cells.
Article in Environmental science & technology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 94 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
94 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 336 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of the effects of nanoplastics on fish.Frontiers in toxicology · 2025Pooled it
- Microplastics in focus: a silent disruptor of liver health- a systematic review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Transcriptomic responses to repeated exposure of human C3A liver spheroids to polystyrene nanoplastics.Archives of toxicology · 2026Article
- Combined Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics and Gentamicin Promotes Liver Toxicity Through Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Apoptotic Pathways: In Vivo and In Silico Studies.Biological trace element research · 2026Article
- Microplastic-Induced DRP1-BAX Interaction Contributes to Mitochondrial Apoptosis in Lung Epithelial Cells.Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2026Article
- Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Human Exposome: Environmental Pathways, Kidney Toxicity, and Implications for Public Health Risk Assessment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Mechanism of Silybin in Alleviating Liver Damage Induced by Heat Stress of Peking Ducks.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Microplastics and nanoplastics in human toxicity: ROS-mediated mechanisms, cellular damage and systemic effects.Molecular biology reports · 2026Review
- Chronic Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Promotes Lung Cancer Progression via Activating Gluconeogenesis and Inhibiting Glycolysis.Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2026Article
- Gaps between Laboratory Experiments and Real-World Exposure: Toxicological Assessment of Microplastics Is Based on Inadequate Evidence.Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2026Review
- Investigating the Impact of Carboxylated Polystyrene Nanoplastics in the Liver Using Cell Lines and Precision-Cut Liver Slices.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2026Article
- Microplastics, nanoplastics and liver disease: an emerging health concern?Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2026Review
- Polystyrene Nanoplastics Induce Early Mitochondrial Dysfunction in H9c2 Cardiomyoblasts Without Substantial Cell Damage.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Micro- and Nanoplastics as Emerging Drivers of Liver Injury: Exposure, Evidence, and Mechanisms.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Galangin mitigates polystyrene microplastic-induced hepatotoxicity: modulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, NLRP3 inflammasome, and intrinsic apoptotic signaling.Molecular biology reports · 2026Article
- Respiratory risks of microplastics and nanoplastics: Where? What? How?Innovation (Cambridge (Mass.)) · 2026Review
- Hepatotoxicity induced by polylactic acid microplastics: The mediating role of gut microbiota and uric acid metabolism.Journal of advanced research · 2026Article
- Microplastics induce mitochondrial dysfunction and accelerate cardiovascular pathogenesis.Archives of toxicology · 2026Review
- Microplastics accumulate in human bile and drive cholangiocyte senescence.Environmental science and ecotechnology · 2026Article
- Article
34 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 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Plastic debris in the global biosphere is an increasing concern, and nanoplastic (NPs) toxicity in humans is far from being understood. Studies have indicated that NPs can affect mitochondria, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The liver and lungs have important metabolic functions and are vulnerable to NP exposure. In this study, we investigated the effects of 80 nm NPs on mitochondrial functions and metabolic pathways in normal human hepatic (L02) cells and lung (BEAS-2B) cells. NP exposure did not induce mass cell death; however, transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the NPs could enter the cells and cause mitochondrial damage, as evidenced by overproduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, alterations in the mitochondrial membrane potential, and suppression of mitochondrial respiration. These alterations were observed at NP concentrations as low as 0.0125 mg/mL, which might be comparable to the environmental levels. Nontarget metabolomics confirmed that the most significantly impacted processes were mitochondrial-related. The metabolic function of L02 cells was more vulnerable to NP exposure than that of BEAS-2B cells, especially at low NP concentrations. This study identifies NP-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic toxicity pathways in target human cells, providing insight into the possibility of adverse outcomes in human health.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.