Microplastic exposure promotes atherosclerotic lesion formation through endothelial dysfunction in LDL receptor-deficient mice

Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as ubiquitous environmental contaminants due to widespread plastic use. However, whether MP exposure promotes atherosclerosis remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the atherogenic effects of MPs in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (LDLR⁻/⁻) mice. We found that nine weeks of MP treatment significantly increased atherosclerotic lesion size in the aortic root of male LDLR⁻/⁻ mice. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that MP exposure promoted the formation of macrophage-like endothelial cells in the aorta. These findings highlight the potential cardiovascular risks of MP exposure and underscore its implications for both human and environmental health. We treated C57BL/6J LDLR⁻/⁻ mice fed a low-cholesterol diet (LCD) with 1 µm microplastics (10 mg/kg) for nine weeks and assessed atherosclerotic lesion size, macrophage content, and expression of inflammation-related genes. In addition, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of the aorta to identify cell types and gene expression changes to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.