Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37106824›Full record

ArticleBiology2023

In Vitro Nano-Polystyrene Toxicity: Metabolic Dysfunctions and Cytoprotective Responses of Human Spermatozoa.

Martina Contino, Greta Ferruggia, Stefania Indelicato, Roberta Pecoraro, Elena Maria Scalisi, Giovanni Bracchitta, Jessica Dragotto, Antonio Salvaggio, Maria Violetta Brundo

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. The Impact of Nanoplastics on the Quality of Fish Sperm: A Review.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Martina ContinoDepartment of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.
Greta FerruggiaDepartment of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.
Stefania IndelicatoDepartment of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.
Roberta PecoraroDepartment of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3293-728X
Elena Maria ScalisiDepartment of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4910-4500
Giovanni BracchittaU.O. Fisiopatologia della Riproduzione Umana-Clinica del Mediterraneo, 97100 Ragusa, Italy.
Jessica DragottoU.O. Fisiopatologia della Riproduzione Umana-Clinica del Mediterraneo, 97100 Ragusa, Italy.
Antonio SalvaggioExperimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily "A. Mirri", 90129 Palermo, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-6063-9517
Maria Violetta BrundoDepartment of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5146-3564
University of Catania · ITIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sicilia · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The ubiquitous spread of Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) has rendered chronic human exposure an unavoidable phenomenon. The biodistribution of such particles leads to bioaccumulation in target organs including the testis, the site of sperm maturation. The purpose of this research has been to estimate the impact of PS-NPs (50 and 100 nm) on the metabolism of mature spermatozoa. The analysis of the semen parameters has revealed a higher toxicity of the smaller sized PS-NPs, which have negatively affected major organelles, leading to increased acrosomal damage, oxidative stress with the production of ROS, DNA fragmentation, and decreased mitochondrial activity. PS-NPs of 100 nm, on the other hand, have mainly affected the acrosome and induced a general state of stress. An attempt has also been made to highlight possible protective mechanisms such as the expression of HSP70s and their correlation among various parameters. The results have evinced a marked production of HSP70s in the samples exposed to the smaller PS-NPs, negatively correlated with the worsening in oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation, and mitochondrial anomalies. In conclusion, our results have confirmed the toxicity of PS-NPs on human spermatozoa but have also demonstrated the presence of mechanisms capable of counteracting at least in part these injuries.

Indexed as

DNA fragmentationhuman spermatozoananoplasticsoxidative stresspolystyreneprotective responses

Identifiers

PMID37106824
PMCPMC10136234
OpenAlexW4366591045

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.