Microplastics can infiltrate brain, study in mice shows

Microplastics are already a health scare and a number of studies are being carried out to determine the extent of the damage they cause to our bodies. A new study has painted an even scarier picture. An experiment on mice has revealed that microplastics introduced through drinking water accumulated in almost every part of the mammal's bodies, even the brain.

These mice even showed behavioural changes which were similar to dementia in humans.

The study has pointed at a scary possibility that the microplastics are breaching the immune barrier between the rest of the body and nervous system to enter the brain.

The study was carried out by experts at the University of Rhode Island and published in International Journal of Molecular Science, as reported by ScienceAlert.

"To us, this was striking. These were not high doses of microplastics, but in only a short period of time, we saw these changes," explains neuroscientist Jaime Ross as quoted on the University of Rhode Island website.

"Nobody really understands the life cycle of these microplastics in the body, so part of what we want to address is the question of what happens as you get older. Are you more susceptible to systemic inflammation from these microplastics as you age? Can your body get rid of them as easily? Do your cells respond differently to these toxins?"

It is not a given that results obtained in experiments with mice would directly point at possible effects on humans but such a study is often the first step to subsequently determine how humans are affected.

In this experiment, young and old mice were given water treated with microplastics which were made of fluorescent polystyrene. Some of the mice were given normal water to establish a reference point.

It was a three-week trial. The behaviour of the mice was regularly monitored during open field tests. These tests encouraged exploratory behaviour.

As compared to the control group of mice, which was given normal water to drink, the mice who drank microplastic-contaminated water for the duration of three weeks reportedly showed significant behavioural changes. Older mice seemed to exhibit these changes to a greater degree.

After three weeks, it was found that microplastics were present in every time of tissues of the mice that the team examined. The organs included liver, kidney, heart, spleen, lungs and most importantly, brain. The microplastics were even found in the excrements of the mice.

ScienceAlert has reported that the current study supported similar findings that were obtained in studied carried out in past. One of these studies was carried out earlier this year by an international team of experts while the other was carried out last year by experts in Taiwan.

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