{"id":457320,"date":"2026-06-02T16:02:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:02:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/457320\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T16:02:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:02:52","slug":"ohio-researcher-to-analyze-how-microplastics-impact-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/457320\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio researcher to analyze how microplastics impact heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

CINCINNATI \u2014 A University of Cincinnati College of Medicine researcher has received a five-year, $3.3 million grant to study the impact microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPS) have on the heart, according to a release to the university.<\/p>\n

What You Need To Know<\/p>\n

Microplastics and nanoplastics are the result of the breakdown of discarded plastic waste or are intentionally made
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The digestive system can absorb the MNPS, leading to a build up in the body, including in the heart
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A hurdle in microplastics research is the lack of suitable particles for testing<\/p>\n

\"Download<\/p>\n

\u201cThis preclinical study will significantly advance our understanding of the toxicity of microplastics, particularly their potential contribution to heart diseases,\u201d said Hong-Sheng Wang,<\/a>\u00a0the grant\u2019s principal investigator and a professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neurobiology. \u201cIt will position the University of Cincinnati at the forefront of research on how microplastics and nanoplastics may affect cardiovascular health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Microplastics and nanoplastics are the result of the breakdown of discarded plastic waste, and they are tiny plastic particles that vary in size, according to Wang. They can also be intentionally producers for consumer and\/or industrial uses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Microplastics and nanoplastics are tiny plastic particles that differ in size. They are typically generated from the breakdown of discarded plastic waste, Wang explained, or intentionally produced for consumer and industrial uses.<\/p>\n

\u201cMNPs are ubiquitous and persistent environmental pollutants. Human exposure is widespread, primarily through food, beverages, drinking water and even inhalation,\u201d said Wang. \u201cExposure can trigger a range of harmful biological responses and is increasingly recognized as a threat to human health.\u201d<\/p>\n

The digestive system can absorb the MNPS, leading to a build up in the body, including in the heart. While it’s a concern, MNPS effects on the heart haven’t been studied indepth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMore laboratory research is needed to understand what is really happening,\u201d said Necati Kaval<\/a>,\u00a0a study collaborator and an adjunct instructor and research professional in the Department of Chemistry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wang explained that the main part of the study involves quantifying exposure levels, which will include investigating how NMPS accumulate in animal model tissue after exposure and ingestion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important to learn where MNPs accumulate in cells and tissues,\u201d said Kaval, an analytical and materials chemist. \u201cSome microplastics, such as polyethylene, are chemically very similar to certain tissue materials, like fats and lipids, creating a kind of camouflage that makes detection challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n

A hurdle in microplastics research is the lack of suitable particles for testing, researchers explained, as they need materials to test that are similar to those found in the environment.<\/p>\n

To mimic real-world MNPS, Kaval has produced a method.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThese particles are essentially polymers, and I have expertise in producing micro- and nano-scale polymer particles,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Before using the particles, they will measure the size, contribution and size distribution, and then the team will conduct toxicology analyses to better understand how they affect heart cells and tissue.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the team plans to analze whether exposure can worsen outcomes after a heart attack, as well as investigate how they can make cells become toxic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cMicroplastics can clog a cell\u2019s waste disposal system, leading to harmful downstream effects,\u201d said Wang.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CINCINNATI \u2014 A University of Cincinnati College of Medicine researcher has received a five-year, $3.3 million grant to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":457321,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[15420,13721,3402,134,153185,111,43,139,69,13724,13720,38],"class_list":["post-457320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-app-health","tag-app-top-stories","tag-cincinnati","tag-health","tag-lydia-taylor","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-ohio","tag-ohio-cincinnati-top-stories","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=457320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457320\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/457321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=457320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=457320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=457320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}