University of Bonn study links microplastics to impaired liver function

A joint German-Austrian study led by the University of Bonn has found that microplastics can significantly impair the function of macrophages, specifically Kupffer cells, in the liver. The research, published in the journal ‘Nature Metabolism’, suggests that these plastic particles disrupt liver metabolism, leading to increased fat accumulation in the organ.

Macrophages, or ‘eating cells’, are immune cells responsible for identifying and breaking down bacteria, diseased cells, and foreign matter. While previous cell culture studies showed that macrophages take up microplastics, this study investigated the effects within a living organism using mice. The researchers observed that when microplastics are ingested, they pass through the gut and encounter Kupffer cells residing in the liver's sinusoids, which monitor blood arriving from the digestive tract.