Mechanism of nano-plastics induced inflammation injury in vascular endothelial cells

Abstract

Nano-plastics, emerging pollutants in the environment, have raised global concern due to their widespread presence in daily life and the potential toxicity to human health. Upon entering human body, nano-plastics can readily interact with vascular endothelial cells within the bloodstream, potentially leading to endothelial dysfunction. However, our understanding of the toxic impact of nano-plastics on vascular endothelial cells remains insufficient, and the underlying mechanism are yet to be elucidated. This study investigated the toxicological effects of nano-plastics on EA.hy 926 endothelial cells. Exposure to different types of nano-plastics such as polystyrene (PS), amino-modified PS or carboxyl-modified PS, resulted in suppress cell activity, damage to the cell membrane, oxidative stress and significantly inhibit cell migration. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and small RNA-seq analyses revealed that numbers of genes and miRNAs were differentially expressed after nano-plastics treatment. CEBPB, a gene within the inflammation-related tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, was confirmed to be a target of miR-1908-5p, indicating that nano-plastics induced activation of CEBPB might promote inflammatory injury to vascular endothelial cells. These results enhance our understanding of the biological effects of nano-plastics and their potential impact on inflammation injury.