Rajak S, Shahi A, Yadav A, Medhe P, Sinha RA. Microplastics in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: An emerging threat to liver health. World J Hepatol 2025; 17(12): 111198 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i12.111198]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Rohit A Sinha, Associate Professor, Department of Endocrinology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rae Bareilly Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. anthony.rohit@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Sangam Rajak, Department of System Toxicology, FEST Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India
Ambuj Shahi, Abhishek Yadav, Pratik Medhe, Rohit A Sinha, Department of Endocrinology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India
Author contributions: Rajak S, Shahi A, Yadav A, Medhe P and Sinha RA wrote the paper; Sinha RA and Rajak S reviewed the literature, designed the outline and coordinated the writing of the paper; and all authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board, No. CRG/2022/002149; and Indian Council of Medical Research, No. ICMR/02/833/IGP-2024.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Rohit A Sinha, Associate Professor, Department of Endocrinology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rae Bareilly Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. anthony.rohit@gmail.com
Received: June 25, 2025 Revised: July 20, 2025 Accepted: November 13, 2025 Published online: December 27, 2025 Processing time: 184 Days and 19.1 Hours
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly referred to as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is a major cause of end-stage liver disease worldwide. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the liver is predominantly influenced by environmental and lifestyle risk factors that lead to obesity and diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, and exposure to environmental pollutants. Microplastics (MPs) are a significant global concern, having been detected in human blood, lungs, kidneys, and liver, and may have deleterious effects on these tissues. Although the effects of MP exposure on the liver have only been partially elucidated, further research is necessary to integrate the direct and extrahepatic effects of MPs on the pathogenesis of MASLD. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of MPs on hepatic metabolism, including their effects on mitochondrial homeostasis and the endocrine system, with potential implications for the progression of MASLD.
Core Tip: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is a leading cause of severe liver disease worldwide. Intriguingly, the rise in the incidence of metabolic diseases including MASLD parallels rapid industrialization and environmental pollution worldwide. Microplastics (MPs) are a big global issue and have been found in human blood, lungs, kidneys, and liver. While some effects of MPs on liver health are known, more research is needed to understand how MPs harm the liver and how they relate to lifestyle risks. This article looks at how MPs affect liver metabolism and their role in the progression of MASLD.
