《生命科学》 2026, 38(10): 1815-1829
微纳塑料暴露对神经系统的影响及相关机制研究进展
摘 要：
随着塑料制品的广泛使用和丢弃，环境老化的塑料在破碎后释放出海量形态多样、尺寸微小的微纳塑料（micro/nanoplastics，MNPs）颗粒。土壤、大气和水圈中的MNPs 通过食物链逐级积累，最终不可避免地被人体吸收。MNPs可通过摄入、吸入和皮肤接触进入人体，经血液循环和神经通路转移并大量积累在脑组织中，在大脑中引发一系列分子和细胞反应，包括破坏血脑屏障、引起神经递质紊乱、造成氧化应激、引发炎症反应、导致线粒体功能障碍、损害自噬作用以及影响肠-脑轴，并能促使细胞阻塞血管诱发脑血栓。这些反应可进一步导致蛋白质折叠异常、神经元损伤、认知功能障碍和行为异常，最终可加重或直接诱发神经退行性疾病和神经发育障碍。本文总结了MNPs在中枢神经系统中的暴露过程及其在神经退行性和发育性疾病发生发展中的作用和相关机制，有助于人们系统了解MNPs的神经毒性效应，为评估神经系统疾病的环境风险因素提供参考。
通讯作者：郭锡汉 , Email:guo_xihan@163.com
Abstract:
As the use of plastic products has increased dramatically in the past decades, the discarded plastics, after being environmentally aged and fragmented, have released vast amounts of micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) with diverse morphologies and sizes. Microplastics are widely defined as solid plastic particles ≤ 5 mm in size and nanoplastics as < 1 μm. Resistance to degradation of MNPs is a key cause of extensive accumulation of MNPs in soil, atmosphere, and hydrosphere, which are unavoidably accumulated into the food chain and ultimately absorbed by the human body. Therefore, public concerns about their potential health impacts are increasing. MNPs can enter the human body via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, and subsequently translocate to the brain through blood circulation and neural pathways. In the brain, MNPs trigger a series of molecular and cellular responses, including disruption of the blood-brain barrier, neurotransmitter imbalance, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impairment of autophagy. Additionally, MNPs can affect the gut-brain axis. Concertedly, these effects may lead to protein misfolding, neuronal damage, cognitive impairment, and behavioral abnormalities, ultimately exacerbating or directly contributing to neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. By summarizing the exposure pathways of MNPs in the central nervous system and their roles and mechanisms in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases, this review provides insights for systematically understanding the neurotoxic effects of MNPs and assessing their mechanisms of action in neurological disorders. We focus our discussions on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as neurodevelopmental diseases like autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, seizures and social behavioral defects. It is argued that the pathological effects of MNPs are determined by their properties and behaviors, including polymer type, size, shape and concentration. In aggregate, these efforts have highlighted how MNPs negatively impact the central nervous system. Nonetheless, several challenges and limitations need to be addressed by scientifically sound research to advance this field. From our perspectives, six areas need to be further considered and refined. First, more attention should be paid to the effects of MNPs other than spherical polystyrene. Second, the synergistic effect of MNPs and other additive pollutants needs to be better understood. Third, single-cell omics should be employed to refine the molecular targets of MNPs neurotoxicity. Fourth, more consideration should be given to the long-term effects of MNPs exposure during the early life stages. Fifth, future studies should focus more on realworld exposure scenarios. Sixth, sex equality and genetic diversity should be integrated into MNPs studies.
Communication Author：GUO Xi-Han , Email:guo_xihan@163.com
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