Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41444604›Full record

ArticleJournal of nanobiotechnology2025

Disruption of cerebral cholesterol homeostasis by PS-NPs: astrocytic endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Lei Tian, Yizhe Wei, Jianping Ma, Yiming Zhao, Yanan Mi, Leili Zhang, Bingyan Wang, Jiang Chen, Kang Li, Yue Shi and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of nanobiotechnology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

13 authors.

Lei Tian *Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Yizhe Wei *Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Jianping MaMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Yiming ZhaoMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Yanan MiMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Leili ZhangMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Bingyan WangMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Jiang ChenMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Kang LiMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Yue ShiMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Wenqing LaiMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Huanliang LiuMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China.
Bencheng LinMilitary Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences, Tianjin, 300050, China. linbencheng123@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cholesterol plays a crucial role in regulating synaptic membrane fluidity and ion channels. Due to the blood-brain barrier, cholesterol in the brain is primarily self-synthesized by astrocytes. However, limited research has been conducted on the effects of polystyrene nanoplastic (PS-NPs) on intracranial cholesterol metabolic pathways. In this study, we exposed whole-brain organoids (WBOs) to PS-NPs and identified significant changes in endoplasmic reticulum stress and cholesterol biosynthesis pathways through whole-transcriptome sequencing. To investigate potential mechanisms of altered cholesterol pathways, we constructed a Transwell neuronal-astrocyte co-culture model. Results demonstrated that PS-NPs induced significant endoplasmic reticulum stress in astrocytes, specifically manifested by elevated levels of ATF4 and CHOP, along with increased autophagy indicated by the elevated LC3-II/I ratio. PS-NPs significantly inhibited the AKT/ACLY pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis, leading to marked reductions in acetyl-CoA and cholesterol within astrocytes (P < 0.05). In addition, PS-NPs led to a significant reduction of apolipoprotein APOE, which hindered cholesterol transport and ultimately inhibited synaptin (SYN) formation. In summary, PS-NPs induce endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy in astrocytes, impair cholesterol de novo synthesis and apolipoprotein-mediated transport, ultimately inhibiting neuronal synaptogenesis. Furthermore, specific inhibition of ERs restored cholesterol synthesis in astrocytes and neuronal synapses. This study demonstrates that PS-NPs produce neurotoxic effects by affecting cholesterol homeostasis in the brain.

Indexed as

AstrocytesBrainCholesterolEndoplasmic Reticulum StressHomeostasisNanoparticlesAnimalsAutophagyMiceNeuronsCholesterolAstrocytesCholesterolEndoplasmic reticulum stressNanoplastics

Identifiers

PMID41444604
PMCPMC12750602

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.