Funded Projects

Microplastics are increasingly prevalent in our environment and have been demonstrated to disrupt various physiological processes in invertebrate species. However, the impact of these particles on mammalian physiology and behavior is only beginning to be appreciated. A growing body of evidence points to numerous deleterious effects of ingestion of microplastics, including metabolic disturbances, systemic inflammation, and disruption of the gut microbiome. Intriguingly, microplastics have been proposed to be obesogenic in humans (Kannan & Vimalkumar, 2021), and given the tremendous health burden and cost imposed by obesity, it is crucial to identify and understand environmental contributors to the development of this disease. However, the mechanisms by which microplastics may alter ingestive behavior and promote obesity are not well understood. This project will leverage the expertise of the three coin-holders to investigate how exposure to microplastics alters ingestive behavior in a rat model and how changes to the gut microbiome may be associated with these effects. Rats will be exposed to microplastics via oral gavage. Dr. Mietlicki-Baase’s expertise in the neural controls of feeding and body weight will support investigation of the consequences of microplastics exposure on weight gain, feeding, and meal patterns. Dr. Derek Daniels is an expert in the neural controls of fluid balance, and will assess how microplastic exposure alters drinking behavior. Dr. Michael Buck is an expert in the gut microbiome and will investigate how microplastics exposure alters gut bacteria. Collectively, the data generated from this cT project will provide novel insights into the impacts of microplastics on behavior and physiology in rodents. Furthermore, we hope that this project will generate preliminary data that can be used in support of an NIH funding application.