ArticleACS omega2022
Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Human Kidney and Liver Cell Morphology, Cellular Proliferation, and Metabolism.
Article in ACS omega, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
70 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled 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
- Polystyrene Microplastics Induce Nephrotoxicity via Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Autophagy, and Ferroptosis.Journal of applied toxicology : JAT · 2026Review
- 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
- Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Human Exposome: Environmental Pathways, Kidney Toxicity, and Implications for Public Health Risk Assessment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Current Evidence Linking Microplastic Exposure and Reproductive Cancers.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Review
- Micro- and Nanoplastics as Environmental Stressors: Mechanistic Links Among Gut Dysbiosis, Inflammation, and Systemic Health Effects.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Review
- Microplastics and nanoplastics in human toxicity: ROS-mediated mechanisms, cellular damage and systemic effects.Molecular biology reports · 2026Review
- Effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the kidneys.Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association · 2026Review
- 4-Phenylbutyric acid attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated polystyrene microplastic-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats.Molecular biology reports · 2026Article
- Effect of Biodegradable PLA-Based and Conventional LDPE Mulch Films on Pathogenic and Functional Soil Microbial Communities.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Article
- Micro-nanoplastics in Cardiovascular Disease: A Critical Update from Environmental Exposure to Clinical Implications.Cardiovascular toxicology · 2026Review
- Review
- Cell-nanoplastics association impacts cell proliferation and motility.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Micro- and Nanoplastics as Disruptors of Digestive and Hepatopancreatic Homeostasis: Insights into the Plastic-Gut-Liver Axis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Article
- Effects of micro and nano plastics on renal health.World journal of nephrology · 2026Review
- Microplastics in organ transplantation: An emerging threat requiring immediate action.World journal of transplantation · 2026Article
- Microplastics and nanoplastics in human health: a comprehensive review of exposure pathways, cellular mechanisms, and toxicological implications.Archives of toxicology · 2026Review
- Nanoplastic toxicity and uptake in kidney cells: differential effects of concentration, particle size, and polymer type.Cell biology and toxicology · 2026Article
10 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
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Microplastics have gained much attention due to their prevalence and abundance in our everyday lives. They have been detected in household items such as sugar, salt, honey, seafood, tap water, water bottles, and food items wrapped in plastic. Once ingested, these tiny particles can travel to internal organs such as the kidney and liver and cause adverse effects on the cellular level. Here, human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cells and human hepatocellular (Hep G2) liver cells were used to examine the potential toxicological effects of 1 μm polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs). Exposing cells to PS-MPs caused a major reduction in cellular proliferation but no significant decrease in cell viability as determined by the trypan blue assay in both cell lines. Cell viability remained at least 94% for both cell lines even at the highest concentration of 100 μg/mL of PS-MPs. Phase-contrast imaging of both kidney and liver cells exposed to PS-MPs at 72 h showed significant morphological changes and uptake of PS-MP particles. Confocal fluorescent microscopy confirmed the uptake of 1 μm PS-MPs at 72 h for both cell lines. Additionally, flow cytometry experiments verified that more than 70% of cells internalized 1 μm PS-MPs after 48 h of exposure for both kidney and liver cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) studies revealed kidney and liver cells exposed to PS-MPs had increased levels of ROS at each concentration and for every time point tested. Furthermore, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis at 24 and 72 h revealed that both HEK 293 and Hep G2 cells exposed to PS-MPs lowered the gene expression levels of the glycolytic enzyme,
Identifiers
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.