ArticleScientific reports2025
Virgin and photo-degraded microplastics induce the activation of human vascular smooth muscle cells.
Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Micro- and Nanoplastics as Emerging Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Review
- Micro-nanoplastics in Cardiovascular Disease: A Critical Update from Environmental Exposure to Clinical Implications.Cardiovascular toxicology · 2026Review
- Nano- and Microplastics in the Cardiovascular System: Current Insights and Biological Implications.Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Evaluating the toxicological effects of PET-MPs exposure on atherosclerosis through integrated network toxicology analysis and experimental validation.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Article
- Emerging cardiovascular risks of micro- and nanoplastics: toxic effects and mechanistic pathways.Particle and fibre toxicology · 2026Review
- Harmful Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Human Body Systems: A Systematic Review.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Microplastic exposure elicits sex-specific atherosclerosis development in lean low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice.Environment international · 2025Article
- The toxicological impact of PET-MPs exposure on atherosclerosis: insights from network toxicology, molecular docking, and machine learning.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Simulated environmental weathering of expanded polystyrene foam and polypropylene under UV and wave agitation.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Interorgan Communication Between Lung and Colorectal Epithelial Cells Studied Using a Novel Multi-Organ-On-Chip System.Comprehensive physiology · 2025Article
- A comprehensive review/expert statement on environmental risk factors of cardiovascular disease.Cardiovascular research · 2025Review
- Review
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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging environmental issue due to their accumulation in ecosystems and living organisms. Increasing evidence shows that MPs impact vascular function, with recent studies finding MPs in atheromas linked to cardiovascular events. Since vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are crucial to maintaining vascular function, this study examined how MPs activate VSMCs, leading to cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis and vascular calcification. The study used polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS), common in food packaging, as "virgin" or photo-degraded to simulate environmental conditions. VSMC viability, apoptosis, cytotoxicity, inflammation, and activation markers were evaluated. PE and PS affected VSMC viability, induced apoptosis, and triggered pathological changes such as altered migration and proliferation. Key markers like RUNX-2 and galectin-3, which regulate cardiovascular pathology, were activated, alongside the inflammasome complex. In conclusion, MPs can induce harmful activation of VSMCs, posing potential health risks through inflammation, cell damage, and phenotypic changes. Understanding these toxic mechanisms may reveal critical pathways for intervention and prevention.
Indexed as
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.