Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40900445›Full record

ArticleFASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology2025

Chronic Waterborne Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics Induces Kupffer Cell Polarization Imbalance and Hepatic Lipid Accumulation.

Ting Li, Zhenghong Yao, Yuxin Huang, Ran Li, Lu Zhang, Rucheng Chen, Weijia Gu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Chronic Waterborne Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics Induces Kupffer Cell Polarization Imbalance and Hepatic Lipid Accumulation.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2025
    Article
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

7 authors.

Ting LiSchool of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Zhenghong YaoSchool of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Yuxin HuangSchool of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Ran LiSchool of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Lu ZhangSchool of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Rucheng ChenSchool of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Weijia GuSchool of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2613-0981

Funding

Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (ZCMU) 2024JKZKTS04
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs), particles under 5 mm, are widespread environmental contaminants. Polystyrene (PS), used in many household items, degrades into polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs), which accumulate in the environment. Chronic exposure to waterborne PS-MPs was found to disrupt hepatic lipid metabolism in C57BL/6N mice through inflammatory Kupffer cell polarization and IL-17/NF-κB signaling pathways. While short-term PS-MPs exposure revealed preferential accumulation in the liver and testes, long-term exposure (9-12 weeks) induced significant increases in body fat percentage and hepatic lipid deposition independent of dietary changes. Mechanistically, chronic PS-MPs exposure promoted Kupffer cell polarization toward pro-inflammatory M1 phenotypes, accompanied by upregulated IL-17 expression and suppressed anti-inflammatory cytokines. Western blot analysis demonstrated concurrent elevation of lipid synthesis markers with reduced lipid oxidation and transport proteins. These findings established that PS-MPs accumulation drives hepatic steatosis through dual mechanisms of macrophage-mediated inflammation and impaired lipid homeostasis pathways.

Indexed as

Kupffer CellsLipid MetabolismLiverMicroplasticsPolystyrenesWater Pollutants, ChemicalAnimalsInflammationMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLNF-kappa BSignal TransductionMicroplasticsNF-kappa BPolystyrenesWater Pollutants, ChemicalIL‐17Kupffer celllipid metabolismpolystyrene microplastics

Identifiers

PMID40900445
PMCPMC12406979

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.