Molecular and Cellular Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular, Nervous, Urinary, Digestive, and Reproductive System Diseases: A Global Systematic Review
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs), formed as a result of plastic product degradation, pose a global environmental threat by penetrating biological systems and inducing systemic pathological changes. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, aims to analyze the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the toxic effects of MPs and NPs on the human cardiovascular, nervous, reproductive, urinary, and digestive systems. The primary mechanisms include oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and impaired barrier functions. In the cardiovascular system, MPs and NPs contribute to endothelial dysfunction, disorders of lipid metabolism, and fibrosis; in the nervous system, they promote neuroinflammation, pathological protein aggregation, and psychiatric disorders; in the reproductive system, they lead to hormonal imbalance and reduced fertility; in the kidneys, they cause inflammation, and fibrosis and lead to deterioration of kidney function; and in the gastrointestinal tract, they contribute to dysbiosis and metabolic disorders. The literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases without limitations on date, language, or access. Studies were selected based on criteria of transparency, statistical validity, sample representativeness, and correctness of data…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Green Chemistry: A Framework for a Sustainable Future
- Nano/micro-plastic, an invisible threat getting into the brain
- Emerging contaminants antibiotic resistance genes and microplastics in the environment: Introduction to 21 review articles published in CREST during 2018–2022
- Water Resources and Sustainable Development
- Nano- and microplastics in the workplace
- Water Enclosure and World-Literature: New Perspectives on Hydro-Power and World-Ecology
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.