Microplastics exposure and atherosclerosis: emerging evidence and potential mechanisms

While there is now abundant evidence that environmental micro- and nano-plastics (MNP) accumulate in virtually all human tissues, the health consequences of these exposures are less certain. Ingested or inhaled MNP are systemically distributed through the circulation, and indeed human studies have identified their presence in normal and diseased cardiovascular tissue, the latter often in quantitative correlation with disease status. To investigate how MNP exposure affects cardiovascular function, we exposed mice to MNPs through their drinking water.

In this seminar, we will present evidence that exposure to multiple types of MNPs increases markers of preclinical cardiovascular disease risk and accelerates atherosclerotic lesion formation in disease-prone animal models. We will discuss potential mechanisms underlying these effects and present findings from cell-based studies suggesting that MNPs activate innate immune responses.