PMID- 37686424 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20230911 LR - 20230911 IS - 1422-0067 (Electronic) IS - 1422-0067 (Linking) VI - 24 IP - 17 DP - 2023 Sep 3 TI - Melatonin Alleviates Intestinal Barrier Damaging Effects Induced by Polyethylene Microplastics in Albino Rats. LID - 10.3390/ijms241713619 [doi] LID - 13619 AB - There have been concerns about the potential health risks posed by microplastics (MP). The detection of MP in a variety of food products revealed that humans are ingesting MP. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of data about their impacts, as well as their uptake, on intestinal barrier integrity. This study examined the toxic effects of oral administration of two doses of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MP) (3.75 or 15 mg/kg/day for 5 weeks; mean particle size: 4.0-6.0 microm) on the intestinal barrier integrity in rats. Moreover, the effect of melatonin treatment with MP exposure was also assessed. The PE-MP particle uptake, histopathological changes, Alcian blue staining, Muc2 mRNA, proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta and TNF-alpha), and cleaved caspase-3, as well as tight junction proteins (claudin-1, myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK), occludin, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1)) were assessed. Oral administration of PE-MP resulted in apparent jejunal histopathological alterations; significantly decreased mucin secretion, occludin, ZO-1, and claudin-1 expression; and significantly upregulated MLCK mRNA, IL-1beta concentration, and cleaved caspase-3 expression. Melatonin reversed these altered parameters and improved the PE-MP-induced histopathological and ultrastructure changes. This study highlighted the PE-MP's toxic effect on intestinal barrier integrity and revealed the protective effect of melatonin. FAU - El Gazzar, Walaa Bayoumie AU - El Gazzar WB AD - Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127, Zarqa 13133, Jordan. AD - Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. FAU - Sliem, Rania E AU - Sliem RE AD - Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. FAU - Bayoumi, Heba AU - Bayoumi H AD - Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. FAU - Nasr, Hend Elsayed AU - Nasr HE AD - Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. FAU - Shabanah, Manar AU - Shabanah M AD - Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35511, Egypt. FAU - Elalfy, Amira AU - Elalfy A AD - Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. FAU - Radwaan, Shaimaa E AU - Radwaan SE AD - Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. FAU - Gebba, Mohammed A AU - Gebba MA AD - Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. AD - Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Merit University, Sohag 82524, Egypt. FAU - Mansour, Heba M AU - Mansour HM AD - Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City 12573, Egypt. FAU - Badr, Amul M AU - Badr AM AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-9819-0786 AD - Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11451, Egypt. FAU - Amer, Marwa Fathy AU - Amer MF AD - Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11451, Egypt. FAU - Ashour, Sara S AU - Ashour SS AD - Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11451, Egypt. FAU - Morsi, Heba AU - Morsi H AD - Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11451, Egypt. FAU - Aboelkomsan, El Shaimaa Ahmed Fahmy AU - Aboelkomsan ESAF AD - Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, New Giza University (NGU), Giza 12573, Egypt. FAU - Baioumy, Bodour AU - Baioumy B AD - Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. FAU - Sayed, Alaa El-Din Hamid AU - Sayed AEH AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-7487-4729 AD - Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt. FAU - Farag, Amina A AU - Farag AA AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-3014-9909 AD - Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20230903 PL - Switzerland TA - Int J Mol Sci JT - International journal of molecular sciences JID - 101092791 RN - 9002-88-4 (Polyethylene) RN - EC 3.4.22.- (Caspase 3) RN - JL5DK93RCL (Melatonin) RN - 0 (Microplastics) RN - 0 (Plastics) RN - 0 (Claudin-1) RN - 0 (Occludin) SB - IM MH - Humans MH - Animals MH - Rats MH - *Polyethylene MH - Caspase 3 MH - *Melatonin/pharmacology MH - Microplastics/toxicity MH - Plastics MH - Claudin-1 MH - Occludin PMC - PMC10488227 OTO - NOTNLM OT - intestinal barrier OT - melatonin OT - polyethylene microplastics OT - proinflammatory cytokines OT - tight junction proteins COIS- The authors declare no conflict of interest. EDAT- 2023/09/09 11:47 MHDA- 2023/09/11 06:42 PMCR- 2023/09/03 CRDT- 2023/09/09 01:14 PHST- 2023/07/30 00:00 [received] PHST- 2023/08/27 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2023/08/29 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2023/09/11 06:42 [medline] PHST- 2023/09/09 11:47 [pubmed] PHST- 2023/09/09 01:14 [entrez] PHST- 2023/09/03 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - ijms241713619 [pii] AID - ijms-24-13619 [pii] AID - 10.3390/ijms241713619 [doi] PST - epublish SO - Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Sep 3;24(17):13619. doi: 10.3390/ijms241713619.