德州农工大学研究人员发现，聚乙烯微塑料——全球产量最大的塑料之一——可能导致脂肪肝疾病的发生和恶化1。该研究团队利用空间转录组学技术揭示了聚乙烯在肝脏中的损害机制，涉及PPAR-α蛋白和ANXA2基因的作用1。这一发现改变了对聚乙烯长期以来被认为相对无害的认识1。
聚乙烯占全球塑料产量的约三分之一，广泛应用于食品包装、储存容器和饮料杯内衬1。研究发现，聚乙烯微塑料无论单独作用还是与高脂肪、高果糖、高胆固醇饮食结合，都会增加脂肪肝指标1。考虑到脂肪肝的全球患病率约为25%，已成为主要的全球健康问题，这项研究具有重要意义1。
研究者Dr. Adi Joshi指出："没有研究真正关注聚乙烯对肝脏健康的影响，而它是产量最大的塑料"1。该研究已发表于《科学进展》期刊2026年第12卷第25期1。
Researchers at Texas A&M University have identified a mechanism by which polyethylene microplastics—among the world's most common plastics—may contribute to fatty liver disease, with damage amplified when combined with unhealthy dietary patterns.1 Using spatial transcriptomics technology, the research team determined how polyethylene causes harm in the liver, involving the action of the PPAR-α protein and the ANXA2 gene.1 This discovery challenges the previous assumption that polyethylene posed relatively minimal health risks.1
Polyethylene accounts for approximately one-third of global plastic production and is widely used in food packaging, storage containers, and beverage cup linings.1 The study found that polyethylene microplastics, whether alone or combined with high-fat, high-fructose, and high-cholesterol diets, increased markers of fatty liver disease.1 Fatty liver disease affects roughly 25% of the global population and represents a major public health concern.1 According to Dr. Adi Joshi, a researcher involved in the study, "No research has really looked at the effects of polyethylene on liver health, and it is the most produced plastic."1 The findings were published in Science Advances, volume 12, issue 25, 2026, with DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aec8681.1
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