Microplastics have spread to almost every corner of the environment. These tiny plastic particles have been found in ocean water, drinking water and even inside the human body. Although their presence is well documented, scientists are still working to understand the consequences of prolonged exposure on human health.
Researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have now identified a potential health problem linked to polyethylene, one of the most widely used plastics in the world. Their results suggest that polyethylene microplastics could contribute to fatty liver disease, particularly when exposure occurs alongside an unhealthy diet.
Polyethylene accounts for around a third of global plastic production. It is used in many everyday products, including food packaging, storage containers, plastic packaging and beverage cup liners. Despite its widespread use, scientists have paid relatively little attention to its potential effects on the liver compared to other types of microplastics.
“No studies have actually looked at the effect of polyethylene on liver health, and it is the most widely produced plastic,” said Dr. Adi Joshi, associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology at VMBS. “What we now know is that these microplastics, particularly polyethylene, affect our liver’s natural defense and repair mechanisms.”
Common microplastics may contribute to fatty liver disease
To study the possible health effects of polyethylene, Joshi and colleagues examined whether exposure to this common plastic could promote fatty liver disease.
The disease develops when excess fat accumulates in liver cells. According to the American Liver Foundation, it affects approximately 25% of people worldwide, making it a major global health problem.
Researchers found that polyethylene exposure increased indicators of fatty liver disease, even without the added influence of poor diet. When plastic was combined with a diet high in fat, fructose and cholesterol, signs of liver disease became more serious.
These findings suggest that exposure to environmental pollutants and poor dietary habits may reinforce each other, thereby worsening liver damage.
“Those who eat a more Western diet, including foods like hamburgers and soda, may have a greater chance of developing fatty liver disease if they are also exposed to polyethylene,” Joshi said.
The results were particularly unexpected because polyethylene has traditionally been considered a relatively biologically inert material. In other words, scientists generally considered it less likely to interact with biological systems than more reactive substances.
However, the results indicate that polyethylene may influence liver function in ways that were previously overlooked. Its effects have emerged both independently and alongside dietary risk factors, raising important questions about how this common plastic interacts with the body’s metabolism and protective mechanisms.
Scientists identify how microplastics affect the liver
Understanding where and how polyethylene causes biological changes could help explain its potential role in liver disease.
To study these effects in more detail, the Texas A&M team partnered with scientists at the University of Oklahoma and applied a powerful technique called spatial transcriptomics.
This technology allows researchers to study gene activity while preserving information about the location of individual cells within a tissue. Rather than simply measuring which genes are active, scientists can identify precisely where biological changes are occurring.
Using this approach, the team mapped areas of liver damage associated with polyethylene exposure and identified molecular pathways that may help explain the effects.
An important discovery concerns PPAR-alpha, a protein that helps regulate fat metabolism in the liver. Researchers found that polyethylene activated this protein, suggesting that it plays an important role in the liver’s response to microplastics.
They also identified ANXA2, a gene associated with tissue repair, as another possible contributor to the disease process.
Together, these findings provide a more detailed picture of how polyethylene may interfere with normal liver functions, including the mechanisms involved in protecting and repairing damaged tissues.
Joshi believes that understanding these biological pathways could eventually help researchers identify potential treatments that reduce the harmful effects of microplastic exposure.
Could microplastics contribute to more serious liver damage?
Although the results reveal a previously underexplored link between polyethylene and fatty liver disease, several important questions remain unanswered.
Researchers plan to study whether exposure to polyethylene could contribute to more advanced forms of liver disease, including fibrosis. This condition occurs when repeated or continued liver damage leads to a buildup of scar tissue, which can interfere with the organ’s ability to function properly.
The team also intends to examine other molecular processes involved in the liver’s response to polyethylene. A particular priority will be to determine whether targeting the PPAR-alpha pathway could help protect the liver from microplastic-related damage.
“This is a pioneering study showing that polyethylene may contribute to fatty liver and that the use of spatial transcriptomics determined exactly where the damage occurred in the liver,” Joshi said. “Other microplastics could also be harmful to the liver, and we definitely need to look at other classes of microplastics.”
These findings add to growing concerns about the possible health consequences of microplastics, although more research is needed to determine how these experimental observations translate into daily human exposure.
For Joshi, this discovery shows why scientists need to look beyond familiar risk factors such as diet when studying chronic diseases. As research continues, understanding how common environmental pollutants interact with the body could reveal previously unknown factors contributing to long-term health problems.
Gn Health
