ArticleHistochemistry and cell biology2026
Lactational exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces oxidative stress, testicular histological alterations, and impaired sperm quality in rat offspring.
Article in Histochemistry and cell biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The widespread presence of nanoplastics in the environment has raised concerns regarding their potential adverse effects on reproductive health, particularly during the early developmental stages. Among these contaminants, polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) can cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues; however, the reproductive consequences of lactational exposure remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated the effects of maternal exposure to PSNPs during lactation on testicular development, oxidative stress, spermatogenesis, and sperm quality in male rat offspring on postnatal days (PD) 30 and 60. Lactating Sprague Dawley rats were orally administered PSNPs at doses of 0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg/day from postnatal days 1 to 21. Male offspring were evaluated on PD30 and PD60. Testicular morphometry, histopathological alterations, oxidative stress biomarkers, reproductive hormone levels, sperm characteristics, and immunohistochemical expression of p53 and BCL-2 were also assessed. Histopathological examination revealed degeneration of seminiferous tubules, reduction in germinal epithelium height, and impaired spermatogenic organization, particularly at higher exposure doses. Significant alterations in oxidative stress biomarkers were observed, characterized by an increased total oxidant status and oxidative stress index, accompanied by a reduced antioxidant capacity. Sperm analysis revealed reductions in sperm count, motility, and viability, along with increased morphological abnormalities in the exposed groups. Hormonal evaluation indicated disturbances in serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. Immunohistochemical analyses further demonstrated increased p53 expression and reduced BCL-2 immunoreactivity, suggesting the activation of apoptosis-related pathways. Lactational exposure to PSNPs adversely affects testicular development and sperm quality in male offspring, potentially through oxidative stress and apoptosis-related mechanisms. These findings suggest that early life exposure to nanoplastics during critical developmental periods may contribute to reproductive dysfunction, highlighting the need for further investigation into the long-term biological effects of environmental nanoplastic exposure.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42773303What 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.