2026-10-11T13:40:39Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33959851 2026-09-21T19:50:16Z category_4 category_146 category_7 category_8 category_19 category_873 category_46 category_734 category_61 category_64 category_132 portal_87 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Interaction of polystyrene nanoplastics and <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> modulates gastric cancer cellular functions and metastasis Xin Lyu (9925002) Boqing Li (17355987) Fangshu Li (4847014) Dina Johar (5246851) Yao Di (5820617) Xiaoying Chen (268103) Yingzi Cui (10910013) Wenke Wang (509969) Huilin Zhao (2013511) Xiaofei Ji (816246) Ying Zhang (40767) Biochemistry Space Science Medicine Microbiology Pharmacology Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified Immunology Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Developmental Biology Cancer Infectious Diseases Polystyrene nanoplastics Helicobacter pylori cell function gastric cancer liver metastasis <p>Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) accumulate in human digestive tissues. They pose health risks as a new pollutant. Chronic <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> infection is the primary risk factor for gastric cancer (GC). This study tested whether PS-NPs and <i>H. pylori</i> internalize GC cells and their separate or combined exposure on cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, and metastasis. PS-NPs were co-cultured with <i>H. pylori in vitro</i>. A liver metastasis model was established by exposing the GC cell line HGC-27 to PS-NPs alone or to PS-NPs + <i>H. pylori</i>, which were then injected into nude mice. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated PS-NPs’ adhesion to <i>H. pylori’s</i> surface. A 100 μg/mL PS-NPs, for 24 h, inhibited bacterial growth and raised reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels inside bacteria. When HGC-27 cells were co-exposed to PS-NPs + <i>H. pylori</i>, they internalized both agents. This co-exposure elicited a synergistic cytotoxic response, reduced cell viability and proliferation, increased apoptosis, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and enhanced autophagosome formation. Exposure to both agents in vivo differed from that observed in vitro. PS-NPs alone promoted liver and lung metastasis and aggravated hepatic lesions, whereas co-exposure showed mixed, context-dependent effects. These findings indicate that PS-NPs associate with <i>H. pylori</i> in invading gastric cancer cells, thereby modulating multiple carcinogenesis processes. Integrating <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> models when assessing the potential long-term health risks of PS-NPs in the gastrointestinal environment is inevitable.</p> 2026-09-21T19:50:16Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.33959851.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Interaction_of_polystyrene_nanoplastics_and_i_Helicobacter_pylori_i_modulates_gastric_cancer_cellular_functions_and_metastasis/33959851 CC BY 4.0