Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics leads to ovotoxicity in female mouse offspring

IF 2.8 4区医学 Q2 REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Reproductive toxicology Pub Date : 2025-07-09 DOI:10.1016/j.reprotox.2025.108996

Huage Liu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Polystyrene nanoplastics (nPS) have been involved in male reproductive health by inducing testicular damage in offspring. However, whether nPS exposure affects reproductive development in female offspring remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of maternal nPS exposure on ovarian development in offspring. 31 ICR mice were orally administered normal drinking water (control group) or nPS at concentrations of 0.1 µg/ml, 1 µg/ml, and 10 µg/ml in normal drinking water for 11 consecutive weeks, encompassing the pre-mating, mating, pregnancy, and lactation periods. The results showed that there were no significant changes in litter size and live litter rate when exposed female mice were delivered. Notably, maternal nPS exposure significantly reduced ovarian weight and follicle number in offspring, suggesting the adverse effects of nPS on ovarian development in female offspring. Additionally, Sod1 and Gpx1 mRNA expressions were dramatically downregulated in nPS-exposed offspring, suggesting an increased risk of oxidative damage to the ovaries. This study indicated that maternal nPS exposure exhibited ovotoxic effects on female offspring, and provided a theoretical foundation for investigating nPS-induced damage to female reproductive health. Furthermore, these findings will offer valuable insights into the field of environmental health.

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母体接触聚苯乙烯纳米塑料导致雌性小鼠后代卵毒性

聚苯乙烯纳米塑料（nPS）通过诱导后代睾丸损伤而影响男性生殖健康。然而，nPS暴露是否会影响雌性后代的生殖发育仍然知之甚少。在这里，我们研究了母体暴露于nPS对后代卵巢发育的影响。31只ICR小鼠连续11周（包括交配前、交配期、妊娠期和哺乳期）口服正常饮用水（对照组）或正常饮用水中浓度分别为0.1 µg/ml、1 µg/ml和10 µg/ml的nPS。结果表明，暴露后的雌性小鼠产仔数和活产仔率无明显变化。值得注意的是，母体接触nPS显著降低了后代卵巢重量和卵泡数量，表明nPS对雌性后代卵巢发育有不利影响。此外，在nps暴露的后代中，Sod1和Gpx1 mRNA的表达显著下调，表明卵巢氧化损伤的风险增加。本研究提示母体接触nPS对雌性后代具有卵毒性作用，为研究nPS对雌性生殖健康的损害提供了理论基础。此外，这些发现将为环境卫生领域提供有价值的见解。

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来源期刊

Reproductive toxicology 生物-毒理学

CiteScore

6.50

自引率

3.00%

发文量

131

审稿时长

45 days

期刊介绍： Drawing from a large number of disciplines, Reproductive Toxicology publishes timely, original research on the influence of chemical and physical agents on reproduction. Written by and for obstetricians, pediatricians, embryologists, teratologists, geneticists, toxicologists, andrologists, and others interested in detecting potential reproductive hazards, the journal is a forum for communication among researchers and practitioners. Articles focus on the application of in vitro, animal and clinical research to the practice of clinical medicine. All aspects of reproduction are within the scope of Reproductive Toxicology, including the formation and maturation of male and female gametes, sexual function, the events surrounding the fusion of gametes and the development of the fertilized ovum, nourishment and transport of the conceptus within the genital tract, implantation, embryogenesis, intrauterine growth, placentation and placental function, parturition, lactation and neonatal survival. Adverse reproductive effects in males will be considered as significant as adverse effects occurring in females. To provide a balanced presentation of approaches, equal emphasis will be given to clinical and animal or in vitro work. Typical end points that will be studied by contributors include infertility, sexual dysfunction, spontaneous abortion, malformations, abnormal histogenesis, stillbirth, intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, behavioral abnormalities, and perinatal mortality.