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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
Induction of Acute Ischemic Stroke in Mice Using the Distal Middle Artery Occlusion Technique
Published on: December 15, 2023
Mechanistic Insights into PET-MPs-Aggravated Ischemic Stroke via Integrated Computational-Experimental Approaches
Yuanjia Zhang1, Yiqian Zhu2, Jie Wu3
1Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Abstract:
Microplastics, especially the environmentally pervasive polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs), are important environmental pollutants, and their potential risks to the health of the nervous system are increasingly a concern. Evidence indicates the presence of PET-MPs in human tissues, including the brain; however, their specific role in cerebrovascular diseases such as ischemic stroke remains poorly understood. This study applied an integrated multidisciplinary framework combining network toxicology, machine learning, molecular docking, as well as experimental validation to investigate how PET-MP exposure exacerbates ischemic stroke and delineates the underlying mechanisms. Computational analyses identified 15 core target genes linking PET-MP exposure to key pathological pathways involved in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Experimental validation using established models of cerebral ischemia, specifically, middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) in BV2 microglial cells, demonstrated that PET-MP exposure significantly exacerbates cerebral infarction, neurological deficits, microglia-mediated neuroinflammation, and oxidative damage. These findings establish PET-MPs as an environmental risk factor capable of worsening ischemic stroke pathology and provide crucial mechanistic evidence for the environmental health risk assessment related to microplastic pollution.
Insights
Polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs) worsen ischemic stroke by triggering neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. This study reveals PET-MPs as a significant environmental risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Microplastics, particularly polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs), are widespread environmental pollutants.
- Concerns are growing regarding their potential impact on nervous system health, with evidence of their presence in human brain tissue.
- The specific role of PET-MPs in cerebrovascular diseases like ischemic stroke is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how PET-MP exposure exacerbates ischemic stroke.
- To delineate the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms.
- To assess PET-MPs as an environmental risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases.
Main Methods:
- An integrated framework combining network toxicology, machine learning, and molecular docking.
- Experimental validation using mouse models of cerebral ischemia (middle cerebral artery occlusion) and in vitro models (oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion in BV2 microglial cells).
Main Results:
- Computational analyses identified 15 core target genes linking PET-MP exposure to neuroinflammation and oxidative stress pathways.
- PET-MP exposure significantly worsened cerebral infarction and neurological deficits in mice.
- PET-MP exposure exacerbated microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and oxidative damage in experimental models.
Conclusions:
- PET-MPs act as an environmental risk factor that can worsen ischemic stroke pathology.
- This study provides crucial mechanistic insights into the environmental health risks associated with microplastic pollution.
- Findings highlight the need for further assessment of microplastics' impact on neurological health.
