{
  "abstract": "Introduction: Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) are emerging environmental contaminants that may impair intestinal barrier integrity, but the involvement of macrophage inflammatory responses remains incompletely understood. Quercetin is a natural flavonoid with well-established anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. This study investigated the role of macrophage inflammatory responses in PS-NP-induced intestinal injury and evaluated the protective effects of quercetin.\n\nMethods: Male ICR mice were orally exposed to PS-NPs for 4 consecutive weeks, and the effects of quercetin intervention on colonic injury, inflammatory responses, tight junction-associated proteins, and macrophage polarization markers were evaluated. RAW 264.7 macrophages were used to further examine PS-NP-induced inflammatory responses and the effects of quercetin in vitro. An indirect Transwell co-culture system of RAW 264.7 macrophages and MODE-K intestinal epithelial cells was established to assess macrophage-mediated epithelial barrier alterations. NF-κB and STAT1 signaling activation was also examined.\n\nResults: PS-NP exposure induced dose-dependent colonic histopathological injury, increased the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, and reduced the expression of the tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin. PS-NPs were also associated with a shift toward a pro-inflammatory macrophage phenotype, characterized by increased CD86 and decreased CD206 expression. Consistently, PS-NPs promoted inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages and increased NF-κB p65 and STAT1 phosphorylation. In the Transwell co-culture system, MODE-K cells co-cultured with PS-NP-stimulated macrophages exhibited reduced tight junction-associated protein expression and disrupted junctional integrity. Quercetin treatment attenuated PS-NP-induced colonic injury and inflammatory responses, partially restored ZO-1 and occludin expression, modulated macrophage polarization-associated markers, and reduced NF-κB and STAT1 activation.\n\nDiscussion: These findings indicate that 50 nm PS-NP exposure induces intestinal inflammatory responses and barrier-associated injury accompanied by pro-inflammatory macrophage activation and altered NF-κB/STAT1 signaling. The co-culture findings further support the involvement of macrophage-derived inflammatory responses in epithelial barrier impairment. Quercetin attenuates PS-NP-induced intestinal injury, potentially in part through modulation of macrophage inflammatory responses accompanied by reduced NF-κB and STAT1 activation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Guangdong Polytechnic of Science and Trade, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China",
    "National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China",
    "Guangzhou Zoo and Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China",
    "Guangdong Eco-engineering Polytechnic, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jian Kang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Heng Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yan Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xin Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Chunyang Zhu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Yanhong Zhou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yanqin Li"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5bqgyq053rfsr.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1973458",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13696278/",
  "id": "5bqgyq053rfsr",
  "issns": [
    "1663-9812"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2026.1973458",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2310|Microplastics and Plastic Pollution"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221467079",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13696278/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13696278",
  "pmid": "42935777",
  "published": "2026-10-12",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5bqgyq053rfsr.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:39Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13696278",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2026.1973458"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:06Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1973458",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1973458/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:25Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13696278",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13696278"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "earth",
      "origin": "openalex:2310|Microplastics and Plastic Pollution",
      "subfield": "environmental-science"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Quercetin attenuates polystyrene nanoplastic-induced intestinal barrier injury through modulation of macrophage inflammatory responses",
  "title_text": "Quercetin attenuates polystyrene nanoplastic-induced intestinal barrier injury through modulation of macrophage inflammatory responses",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:33:38Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5bqgyq053rfsr",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Pharmacology",
  "versions": []
}