JAKARTA - Exposure to microplastics is no longer seen as a threat to the environment alone. Recent research shows that these very small plastic particles can also have a cross-generational health impact. This surprising finding reveals that fathers exposed to microplastics have the potential to pass on the risk of diabetes to their daughters.
The study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, was conducted using a mouse model. Researchers found that exposure to microplastics in male mice before having offspring can trigger biological changes that impact the metabolic health of their offspring.
In the study, mice pups were fed a high-fat diet to mimic today's common unhealthy diets.
The results showed that female offspring from fathers exposed to microplastics showed a much higher risk of metabolic disorders compared to offspring from fathers who were not exposed.
The female offspring experienced symptoms similar to diabetes, including changes in genes in the liver related to inflammation and blood sugar regulation. Meanwhile, the male offspring showed no signs of diabetes, although it did experience a slight decrease in body fat mass.
The lead researcher of this study, Changcheng Zhou from the University of California, Riverside, stated that the difference in impact between male and female children still requires further research.
"In our study, female offspring showed diabetes phenotypes. We found increased activity of genes related to inflammation and diabetes in their livers. These changes were not seen in male offspring," Zhou explained, quoted from The Good Men Project.
What makes this finding even more important is the mechanism of inheritance. Researchers found that exposure to microplastics alters the profile of small molecules in sperm, specifically small non-coding RNA. These molecules play a role in regulating how genes are turned on or off during the development process.
Microplastics do not directly alter DNA, but affect the regulatory molecules of genes that determine how genes work during the development process. Changes to this regulatory system are then passed on to offspring and affect the way their bodies respond to a high-fat diet.
"As far as we know, this is the first study to show that exposure to microplastics in fathers can change the profile of small RNAs in sperm and trigger metabolic disorders in offspring," Zhou added.
Although this study was conducted on animals, scientists assessed that the findings have important implications for humans. Microplastics have been found in various human organs, including the reproductive system.
This finding expands the understanding of child health not only influenced by the mother's condition, but also the environment and exposure experienced by the father before conception.
"This discovery opens up a new direction in environmental health, by highlighting how the environment of both parents can affect the health of their children," said Zhou.
The researchers hope that further studies will reveal whether exposure to the mother has a similar impact, as well as how the risk can be reduced. Meanwhile, prospective fathers are advised to start paying attention to exposure to harmful substances, including microplastics, for the health of future generations.
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