Polystyrene nanoplastics exposure causes erectile dysfunction in rats

Autor: Ming Wang, Bangshun Dai, Qiushi Liu, Xiaobin Wang, Yunzheng Xiao, Guilong Zhang, Hui Jiang, Xiansheng Zhang, Li Zhang
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Vol 280, Iss , Pp 116551- (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0147-6513
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116551
Popis: Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs), emerging and increasingly pervasive environmental contaminants, have the potential to cause persistent harm to organisms. Although previous reports have documented local accumulation and adverse effects in a variety of major organs after PS-NPs exposure, the impact of PS-NPs exposure on erectile function remains unexplored. Herein, we established a rat model of oral exposure to 100 nm PS-NPs for 28 days. To determine the best dose range of PS-NPs, we designed both low-dose and high-dose PS-NPs groups, which correspond to the minimum and maximum human intake doses, respectively. The findings indicated that PS-NPs could accumulate within the corpus cavernosum and high dose but not low dose of PS-NPs triggered erectile dysfunction. Moreover, the toxicological effects of PS-NPs on erectile function include fibrosis in the corpus cavernous, endothelial dysfunction, reduction in testosterone levels, elevated oxidative stress and apoptosis. Overall, this study revealed that PS-NPs exposure can cause erectile dysfunction via multiple ways, which provided new insights into the toxicity of PS-NPs.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals