Content area
Background
Micro-/nanoplastics (MNPLs) are widely found in the environment and have toxic effects on various organs and systems. However, the role of the gut-cardiac axis in cardiotoxicity induced by MNPLs has not yet been elucidated through research.
Results
In this study, we examined the effects of 80 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) on the heart and human cardiomyocytes (AC16) cells. Histopathological examination showed that NPs caused impaired cardiac function and increased myocardial collagen deposition. In view of the potential influence of gut microbiota and its metabolites on cardiac function, we conduct this study to investigate the specific effects they have on cardiac function. Analysis of cecal contents by 16 s ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) revealed that colonic tissue damage, intestinal flora disorder, and reduction of propionic acid induced by PS-MPs were closely related to cardiac function. Further transcriptomic analysis of heart and colon tissues indicated that propionic acid may reduce cardiac function by reducing the expression of fructose-1, 6-biphosphatase 1 (FBP1). The hypothesis was further verified by in vitro intervention experiments with sodium propionate and FBP1 activator (BML-275).
Conclusions
In summary, our study systematically demonstrated the role of gut-heart axis in NPs-induced cardiac injury, and the specific process was that NPs exposure reduced propionate level, which in turn inhibited FBP1 expression to impair cardiac function. These findings provide new insights into NPs-induced cardiotoxicity and identifie potential therapeutic targets, providing clues for the prevention and treatment of NPs-induced cardiac injury in the future.
Details
Injury prevention;
Heart;
Therapeutic targets;
Fatty acids;
Gastrointestinal tract;
Metabolites;
Metabolism;
Transcriptomics;
Propionic acid;
Sodium propionate;
Kinases;
Intestinal microflora;
Polystyrene;
Cardiomyocytes;
Permeability;
Cecum;
Colon;
Microscopy;
Gut microbiota;
Cardiovascular disease;
Cardiotoxicity;
Digestive system;
Polystyrene resins;
Cardiac function;
Plastic pollution
1 Capital Medical University, Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.24696.3f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0369 153X)
2 Capital Medical University, Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.24696.3f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0369 153X); Capital Medical University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment and Aging, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.24696.3f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0369 153X)