探討慢性暴露於塑膠微粒對小鼠記憶及海馬迴Arc蛋白表現之機轉

Microplastics (MPs) exist in a wide environment including air, water, soil.Substantial evidence has shown that MPs are accumulated in human organs.However, the impact of MPs on human health remains unclear. Our preliminaryresult found that oral administration of MPs to mice for eight weeks elicitedvarious forms of memory impairments. We further identified that, in thehippocampus, Arc (Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein) expressionwas decreased in company with enhancement of GluA1 level, leading toimbalance of synaptic transmission. While we observed cellular and behavioralalterations in MPs-exposed mice, MPs did not locate in the hippocampus in ourexperimental results. Thus, we hypothesize Arc dysregulation by MPs leading tosynaptic dysfunction, and ultimately resulting in memory defects, and thisimpairment is through MPs-mediated indirect pathway in mice. To test thehypothesis, we propose the following aims to test our hypothesis: (I) Dose MPsexposure result in changes in cognitive behaviors in mice? (II) Is the expressionof genes altered in the hippocampus of MPs-exposed mice? (III) Is the synapticfunction altered in the hippocampus of MPs-exposed mice? (IV) What is theetiology of MPs-induced brain dysregulation? Understanding the mechanismbetween MPs and brain will provide new insights for treatment of dementia.