Study on the Intestinal Toxicity of Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastics in Mice (PRJCA043069)
This project focuses on the toxic effects and underlying mechanisms of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics (PSMPs and PSNPs) in both healthy and inflamed intestinal microenvironments, aiming to elucidate their potential to disrupt gut homeostasis and exacerbate inflammatory responses. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) models in mice will be established using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) as a chemical inducer to simulate the physiological processes by which orally ingested, environmentally ubiquitous PS-MNPs may trigger or aggravate intestinal inflammation under different gut conditions. By comparing the toxicity of PSNPs and PSMPs in healthy versus inflamed models and integrating multidimensional indicators with multi-omics approaches, this study will systematically investigate the particle size-dependent effects, biological targets, and key signaling pathways involved in PSNPs and PSMPs-induced IBD progression.