ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2025
Impact of Environmental Microplastic Exposure on Caco-2 Cells: Unraveling Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Autophagy Activation.
Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Investigating the Release and Toxicity of Microplastics/Nanoplastics From Single-Use Plastic Bags to Zebrafish.Journal of applied toxicology : JAT · 2026Article
- Investigating the microwave degradation of polypropylene microplastics and their impact on human intestinal cell models.Toxicology reports · 2026Article
- Harmful Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Human Body Systems: A Systematic Review.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Micro- and Nanoplastics Driving Adverse Human Health Effects.Toxics · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive environmental pollutants that have raised concerns due to their potential toxic impacts on human health. This study investigates the impact of polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics on Caco-2 cells, a commonly used in vitro model for the intestinal barrier. Caco-2 cells were exposed to MPs of different sizes (1 µm and 2.6 µm) for 72 h. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in cell viability, accompanied by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, suggesting oxidative-stress-induced cytotoxicity. Flow cytometry and Western blot analyses revealed that the MPs induced apoptosis, as evidenced by an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 activation. Additionally, MPs triggered autophagy, indicated by elevated LC3-II levels and decreased p62 expression. The use of bafilomycin A1 further confirmed the enhancement of autophagic flux. These findings highlight the potential cytotoxic effects of MPs on intestinal epithelial cells, raising concerns about their impact on human health.
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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.