Dual impact of microplastic exposure in a mouse model: Impaired uterine receptivity and altered maternal-offspring metabolism.

With the increasing environmental presence of microplastics (MPs), concerns about their potential health risks have intensified. Our previous study detected MP deposition in the human uterus. However, its impact on uterine receptivity and the underlying mechanisms remains poorly understood, and the systemic metabolic consequences of MP exposure are yet to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the reproductive and metabolic consequences of MP exposure using a mouse model. Female C57BL/6 mice were orally administered polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) at 50 mg/kg/day for 14 days (n = 30 per group), while control mice received an equivalent volume of saline. MP accumulation was observed in uterine tissues, consistent with our human findings. Following exposure, mice exhibited impaired uterine receptivity and unideal implantation, potentially driven by inflammatory pathway activation, as revealed by transcriptomic analysis. In addition, metabolomic profiling of maternal and offspring blood samples revealed significant metabolic disturbances, with overlapping alterations across generations, raising the possibility of intergenerational effects. These multi-omics datasets were generated by CapitalBio Technology and further analyzed using MetaboAnalyst. These findings highlight the urgent need to further investigate the biological threats of MP exposure and to develop strategies to mitigate its adverse health effects.