On June 21, 2023, the team of Professor Zhang Dayi of Jilin University and Associate Professor Liu Mingying of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University applied the core product of HOOKE P300 , to publish a paper entitled "Impacts of polyphenylene polymers on lip profiles of mouse life uncovered by lipomics analysis and Raman spectroscopy" on the Journal of Hazardous Materials. The study innovatively used the technology of confocal Raman spectroscopy and lipomics to observe the accumulation of polypropylene Microplastics in the liver of mice, and revealed the effect of polypropylene Microplastics intake on lipid metabolism in the liver of mice.

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants, and there are only limited studies reporting the impacts of some MPs on liver lipid metabolism in animals. In this study, we investigated the accumulation of polypropylene-MPs in mouse liver and unraveled the change in lipid metabolic profiles by both lipidomics and Raman spectroscopy. Polypropylene-MP exposure did not cause obvious health symptoms, but hematoxylin-eosin staining showed pathological changes that polypropylene-MPs induced lipid droplet accumulation in liver. Lipidomics results showed a significant change in lipid metabolic profiles and the most influenced categories were triglycerides, fatty acids, free fatty acids and lysophosphatidylcholine, implying the effects of polypropylene-MPs on the hemostasis of lipid droplet biogenesis and catabolism. Most altered lipids contained unsaturated bonds and polyunsaturated phospholipids, possibly affecting the fluidity and curvature of membrane surfaces. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the major spectral alterations of liver tissues were related to lipids, evidencing the altered lipid metabolism and cell membrane components in the presence of polypropylene-MPs. Our findings firstly disclosed the impacts of polypropylene-MPs on lipid metabolisms in mouse liver and hinted at their detrimental disturbance on membrane properties, cellular lipid storage and oxidation regulation, helping our deeper understanding on the toxicities and corresponding risks of polypropylene-MPs to mammals.

The paper links：

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131918