Micro- and Nanoplastics Breach the Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB): Biomolecular Corona’s Role Revealed

Verena Kopatz; Kevin Wen; Tibor Kovács; Alison S. Keimowitz; Verena Pichler; Joachim Widder; A. Dick Vethaak; Oldamur Hollóczki; Lukas Kenner

doi:10.3390/nano13081404

Titel

Micro- and Nanoplastics Breach the Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB): Biomolecular Corona’s Role Revealed

Autor*in

Verena Kopatz

Division of Experimental and Laboratory Animal Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna

Kevin Wen

Chemistry Department, Vassar College

Tibor Kovács

Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen

... show all

Abstract

Humans are continuously exposed to polymeric materials such as in textiles, car tires and packaging. Unfortunately, their break down products pollute our environment, leading to widespread contamination with micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs). The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is an important biological barrier that protects the brain from harmful substances. In our study we performed short term uptake studies in mice with orally administered polystyrene micro-/nanoparticles (9.55 µm, 1.14 µm, 0.293 µm). We show that nanometer sized particles—but not bigger particles—reach the brain within only 2 h after gavage. To understand the transport mechanism, we performed coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations on the interaction of DOPC bilayers with a polystyrene nanoparticle in the presence and absence of various coronae. We found that the composition of the biomolecular corona surrounding the plastic particles was critical for passage through the BBB. Cholesterol molecules enhanced the uptake of these contaminants into the membrane of the BBB, whereas the protein model inhibited it. These opposing effects could explain the passive transport of the particles into the brain.

Stichwort

polystyrenemicro-/nanoplasticblood–brain barrierbiomolecular coronacomputational uptake modeling

Objekt-Typ

journal article

Sprache

Englisch [eng]

Persistent identifier

phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:2046475

DOI

10.3390/nano13081404

Erschienen in

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