Microplastics (MPs) as a Systemic Hazard: Unveiling the Potential Link to Oral Inflammation through Shared...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Toxicology
• Oral Medicine

Background:

• Microplastics (MPs) possess physicochemical properties (size, shape, charge) influencing their biological interactions and toxicity.
• Adsorbed pollutants on MPs can potentiate synergistic toxic effects.
• Exposure via ingestion or inhalation leads to systemic circulation, causing cellular damage (oxidative stress, apoptosis) and multi-organ inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a theoretical framework linking MPs' properties to potential oral health risks.
• To identify critical research directions for microplastic risk assessment in oral medicine.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and theoretical framework construction.
• Analysis of physicochemical properties of MPs and their toxicological pathways.
• Comparison of systemic inflammatory pathways induced by MPs with mechanisms of chronic oral diseases.

Main Results:

• MPs' properties dictate their penetration of biological barriers and induction of toxicity.
• Inflammatory pathways (e.g., NF-κB, NLRP3) activated by MPs in systemic organs mirror those in oral diseases like periodontal disease.
• MPs may exacerbate inflammation via physical damage and oral-intestinal axis dysregulation, posing risks to oral health.

Conclusions:

• MPs pose a potential, though not yet directly evidenced, risk to oral health.
• The established link between MPs' properties and systemic inflammation provides a basis for understanding potential oral health impacts.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms and quantify the risks of MPs to oral health.