Oral Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics of Mice on a Normal or High-Fat Diet and Intestinal and Metabolic Outcomes

Key Points

• To evaluate the intestinal and metabolic consequences of oral polystyrene microplastic exposure in mice fed either a normal diet or a high-fat diet.
• Exposed mice fed either a normal diet or a high-fat diet to oral polystyrene microplastics.
• Assessed intestinal mucosal deposition, intestinal inflammation, nutrient absorption changes, and metabolic outcomes including diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
• Microplastic exposure induced metabolic disturbances, specifically diabetes and NAFLD, exclusively in mice fed a high-fat diet.
• High-fat diet facilitated leaky gut syndrome, leading to microplastic deposition and inflammation within the intrinsic layer of the intestinal mucosa and altered nutrient absorption.