Microplastics appear capable of significantly impairing the function of phagocytes in the liver, at least in mice. In turn, this disrupts the metabolism of this vital organ and increases the build-up of fat inside it. These key findings from a joint German-Austrian study led by the University of Bonn, have now been published in the journal Nature Metabolism.
Phagocytes, literally “eating cells,” or “macrophages” to give them their scientific name, are immune cells that reside in virtually every organ of the body. They play an important protective role, looking out for bacteria, diseased cells and foreign matter, engulfing them and breaking them down into their component parts. In addition, they help the organs they live in function properly.
“From working with cell cultures, we’ve known for several years that macrophages also take up microplastics,” explains Professor Elvira Mass from the LIMES Institute at the University of Bonn. “We wanted to know whether that’s also the case in a living organism and, if so, what effect it has.”
