Toxicological Research

Korean Society of Toxicology & Korea Environmental Mutagen Society (한국독성학회)
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Immunodysregulatory potentials of polyethylene or polytetrafuorethylene microplastics to mice subacutely exposed via intragastric intubation

  • JiHun Jo (Department of Occupational Health, College of Bio and Medical Sciences, Daegu Catholic University) ;
  • Manju Acharya (Department of Occupational Health, College of Bio and Medical Sciences, Daegu Catholic University) ;
  • Pramod Bahadur K C (Department of Toxicology, Graduate School of Daegu Catholic University) ;
  • Anju Maharjan (Department of Occupational Health, College of Bio and Medical Sciences, Daegu Catholic University) ;
  • DaEun Lee (Department of Occupational Health, College of Bio and Medical Sciences, Daegu Catholic University) ;
  • Ravi Gautam (Department of Occupational Health, College of Bio and Medical Sciences, Daegu Catholic University) ;
  • Jung‑Taek Kwon (Environmental Health Research Department, National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • KilSoo Kim (Preclinical Research Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation) ;
  • ChangYul Kim (Department of Toxicology, Graduate School of Daegu Catholic University) ;
  • Yong Heo (Department of Occupational Health, College of Bio and Medical Sciences, Daegu Catholic University) ;
  • HyoungAh Kim (Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea)
  • Received : 2022.08.01
  • Accepted : 2023.02.06
  • Published : 2023.07.15
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Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) have been recently recognized as posing a risk to human health. The adverse health effects of MP exposure have been recently reported, especially via the oral exposure route. The present study investigated whether subacute (4 week) exposure to polyethylene (PE) or polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) MPs via gastric intubation caused immunotoxicity. Two different sizes of PE MPs (6.2 or 27.2 ㎛) and PTFE MPs (6.0 or 30.5 ㎛) were administered to 6-week-old mice of both sexes at 0 (corn oil vehicle control), 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg/day (n=4/group). No significant differences were observed between groups in the major thymic or splenic immune cell populations, including thymic CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes, and splenic helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells, and B cells. The ratio of interferon-gamma (IFNγ) to interleukin-4 (IL-4) in culture supernatants from polyclonally activated splenic mononuclear cells ex vivo (48 h) was dose-dependently decreased in female mice that received small- and large-size PTFE MPs. The IFNγ/IL-4 ratio was also decreased in the female mice dosed with large-size PE MPs. The serum IgG2a/IgG1 ratio was dose-dependently increased in male and female animals dosed with small-size PE MPs, in female animals dosed with large-size PTFE MPs, and in male animals dosed with small-size PTFE MPs. The present study implies that immune functions could be affected in animals exposed to MPs via gastric intubation. These effects are dependent on MP size, MP dose, MP polymer type, and mouse sex. Further investigations with longer exposure periods could be necessary to more clearly define the immunotoxic effects of MPs.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the Korea Ministry of Environment (grant # 2020003120002) and the educational training program for the management of information on the hazards and risk of chemical substances funded by the Korea Ministry of Environment (entrusted to the Korea Chemicals Management Association).

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