Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 7, 2024; 30(9): 1011-1017
Published online Mar 7, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i9.1011
Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on liver health: Current understanding and future research directions
Chun-Cheng Chiang, Hsuan Yeh, Ruei-Feng Shiu, Wei-Chun Chin, Tzung-Hai Yen
Chun-Cheng Chiang, Hsuan Yeh, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
Chun-Cheng Chiang, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
Chun-Cheng Chiang, Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
Hsuan Yeh, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
Ruei-Feng Shiu, Center of Excellence for The Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
Ruei-Feng Shiu, Institute of Marine Environment and Ecology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
Wei-Chun Chin, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, United States
Tzung-Hai Yen, Department of Nephrology, Clinical Poison Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
Tzung-Hai Yen, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
Author contributions: Chiang CC, Yeh H, Shiu RF, Chin WC and Yen TH contributed to this paper; Yen TH designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Shiu RF and Chin WC contributed to the discussion of the manuscript; Chiang CC and Yeh H contributed to the writing, and editing the manuscript, illustrations, and review of literature.
Supported by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. CMRPG3N0621.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Chun-Cheng Chiang, Hsuan Yeh, Ruei-Feng Shiu, Wei-Chun Chin and Tzung-Hai Yen have nothing to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Tzung-Hai Yen, MD, PhD, Doctor, Professor, Department of Nephrology, Clinical Poison Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, No. 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. m19570@cgmh.org.tw
Received: January 10, 2024
Peer-review started: January 10, 2024
First decision: January 19, 2024
Revised: January 26, 2024
Accepted: February 18, 2024
Article in press: February 18, 2024
Published online: March 7, 2024
Processing time: 55 Days and 18.2 Hours
Abstract

With continuous population and economic growth in the 21st century, plastic pollution is a major global issue. However, the health concern of microplastics/ nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) decomposed from plastic wastes has drawn public attention only in the recent decade. This article summarizes recent works dedicated to understanding the impact of MPs/NPs on the liver-the largest digestive organ, which is one of the primary routes that MPs/NPs enter human bodies. The interrelated mechanisms including oxidative stress, hepatocyte energy re-distribution, cell death and autophagy, as well as immune responses and inflammation, were also featured. In addition, the disturbance of microbiome and gut-liver axis, and the association with clinical diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis were briefly discussed. Finally, we discussed potential directions in regard to this trending topic, highlighted current challenges in research, and proposed possible solutions.

Keywords: Microplastics; Nanoplastics; Liver; Reactive oxidative species; Cell death; Autophagy; Innate immunity; Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease; Gut-liver axis

Core Tip: The liver is heavily impacted by exposure to microplastics/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs). This editorial not only summarized the key molecular and cellular events in the liver triggered by MPs/NPs but also highlighted prospective research directions including translational and clinical studies for further investigation in this field.