Abstract
The potential risks of environmental nanoparticles (NPs), in particular Polystyrene Nanoparticles (PNPs), is an emerging problem; specifically, the interaction of PNPs with intestinal cells has not been characterized so far. The mechanism by which polystyrene particles are transferred to humans has not yet been clarified, whether directly through ingestion from contaminated food. We evaluated the interaction between PNPs and colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (HCT116). Cells were exposed to different concentrations of PNPs, metabolic activity and the consequent cytotoxic potential were assessed through viability test; we evaluated the PNP genotoxic potential through the Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus cytome (CBMN cyt) assay. Finally, we detected Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production after NPs exposure and performed Western Blot analysis to analyze the enzymes (SOD1, SOD2, Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase) involved in the cell detoxification process that comes into play during the cell-PNPs interaction. This work analyzes the cyto and genotoxicity of PNPs in the colorectal HCT116 cell line, in particular the potential damage from oxidative stress produced by PNPs inside the cells related to the consequent nuclear damage. Our results show moderate toxicity of PNPs both in terms of ROS production and DNA damage. Further studies will be needed on different cell lines to have a more complete picture of the impact of environmental pollution on human health in terms of PNPs cytotoxicity and genotoxicity.
Highlights
Plastic is a widespread pollutant that extends from the marine to the human ecosystem throughout the entire globe
Thanks to the morphological analysis, by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) microscopy (Fig 1), that investigate about size and dimension of Polystyrene Nanoparticles (PNPs), it is possible to note that the nanoparticles are homogeneous and with the same size (100nm)
Considering the results obtained in this work, it is possible to hypothesize that at high doses of PNPs the cell line HCT116 undergoes significant oxidative stress with a consequent reduction in cell viability and an increase in the biosynthesis of detoxifying enzymes
Summary
Plastic is a widespread pollutant that extends from the marine to the human ecosystem throughout the entire globe. Every year over 8 tons of plastic polymers end up at sea [1]. Plastic particles that have an upper size limit of 5 mm or 1 mm are considered microplastics (MPs) whereas nanoplastics (NPPs) may have a higher size limit of 100 nm or 1000 nm [2]. Plastic undergoes an important and continuous degradation, leading to the formation of NPs obtained from the fragmentation of microplastics [3, 4].
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