Investigation of the Effects of Different Doses of Polystyrene Microplastics on Myocardial Tissue Damage, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Mice

KavosiNezhad, Mahnaz; Morovvati, Hassan; Zangeneh, Somayeh

doi:10.22118/jsmj.2025.491593.3781

Investigation of the Effects of Different Doses of Polystyrene Microplastics on Myocardial Tissue Damage, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Mice

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mahnaz KavosiNezhad ¹

Hassan Morovvati ²

Somayeh Zangeneh ³

¹ Doctoral Student, Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tehran. Tehran, Iran.

² Professor of Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tehran. Tehran, Iran.

³ Ph.D, Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tehran. Tehran, Iran.

10.22118/jsmj.2025.491593.3781

Abstract

Background and Objectives The widespread prevalence of microplastic contamination in the environment has raised concerns regarding its potential effects on human and animal health. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of varying doses (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/kg) of polystyrene microplastics on myocardial tissue damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation in mice
Subjects and Methods This randomized experimental trial included 36 male mice divided into four groups: a control group and three experimental groups receiving microplastic doses of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/kg. After 42 days, heart tissue and blood serum samples were collected and subjected to histopathological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test in SPSS 21, and the results were reported as mean ± standard deviation (P<0.05). Graphs were generated using Excel 2017.
Results Microplastics induced structural alterations in the heart tissue, with the severity correlating to the dose. High doses (1 mg/kg) led to severe degradation of muscle fibers and extensive fibrosis. In contrast, low doses (0.01 mg/kg) caused only mild damage. Evidence of increased oxidative stress was also clear: total serum antioxidant capacity was reduced at moderate and high doses, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly elevated (P<0.05). Furthermore, high doses significantly increased TNF-alpha gene expression (P<0.05), indicating activated inflammatory responses triggered by microplastics.
Conclusion Polystyrene microplastics can have negative effects on cardiovascular health, including increased oxidative stress and inflammation. These findings underscore the need for further research to better understand the health risks of micro plastics.

Keywords

Micro plastics

Heart

Polystyrene

Oxidative Stress

Subjects

Medical

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Published by ahvaz jundishapur university of medical science. This article is an open access article licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).