JAKARTA - Recent research on mice has found that environmental pollution, especially microplastics, can affect the health of the next generation. This study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, is the first to show a link between exposure to microplastics in fathers and the long-term health of their children.
Microplastics are very small plastic particles (less than 5 mm) that come from consumer products and industrial waste. The metabolic disorders studied include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and body fat accumulation, risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.
To investigate this effect, offspring mice (F1) were fed a high-fat diet to make metabolic disorders more visible. The results, female offspring from fathers exposed to microplastics were more prone to metabolic disorders than offspring from fathers who were not exposed, even though all children were fed the same diet.
"The exact reason for this sex-specific effect is still unclear," said Changcheng Zhou, a professor of biomedical sciences at the UC Riverside School of Medicine and lead author of the study, quoted from the Good Men Project website.
"In our study, female offspring showed signs of diabetes. We found increased expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-diabetic genes in their livers. These changes were not seen in male offspring," he continued.
Researchers also found exposure to microplastics alters small RNA molecules in sperm, which serve as 'dimmer switches' for genes and can affect child development.
"As far as we know, this is the first study to show that exposure to microplastics in fathers can affect non-coding small RNAs in sperm and trigger metabolic disorders in children," said Zhou.
Zhou emphasized that the impact of plastic pollution is not limited to individuals exposed to it, this exposure can leave a biological trace that makes children more vulnerable to chronic diseases.
"This discovery opens a new chapter in environmental health, with a focus on how the environment of both parents affects the health of their children," he said.
Men who plan to have children should consider reducing exposure to harmful substances such as microplastics, for their own health and the health of future children.
Researchers hope this study will be the basis for further research, including the effects of exposure on mothers and ways to minimize metabolic changes.
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