Engineered nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TIO2): Uptake and biological effects in a sea bass cell line.
With the rapid development of nanotechnology there has been a corresponding increase in the application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) in various consumer and industrial products, consequently their potential health hazards and environmental effects are considered an aspect of great concern. In the present study, in order to assess the impact of TiO2-NPs in the marine environment, the biological effects of TiO2-NPs on a sea bass cell line (DLEC) were investigated. Cells were exposed for 24 h to different concentrations of TiO2-NPs (1, 8, 40, 200 and 1000 μg/ml) or co-exposed with CdCl2(Cd). The effects of UV light irradiation were also investigated in cells treated with TiO2-NPs and/or Cd. The internalization of TiO2-NPs and the morphological cell modifications induced by the treatments were examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, this latter coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for particle element detection. In addition, the effects of controlled exposures were studied evaluating the cytotoxicity, the DNA damage and the expression of inflammatory genes. Our study indicates that TiO2-NPs were localized on the cell surface mainly as agglomerates revealed by EDS analysis and that they were uptaken by the cells inducing morphological changes. Photoactivation of TiO2-NPs and/or co-exposure with Cd affects ATP levels and it contributes to induce acute cellular toxicity in DLEC cells dependent on Ti concentration. The inflammatory potential and the DNA damage, this latter displayed through a caspase-3 independent apoptotic process, were also demonstrated. Overall our data suggest that the interaction of TiO2-NPs with marine water contaminants, such as cadmium, and the UV irradiation, may be an additional threat to marine organisms.
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: picchietti@unitus.it.
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Picchietti
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: chiarabernini@unitus.it.
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Bernini
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: valentina.stocchi@unitus.it.
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Stocchi
Section of Electron Microscopy, Great Equipment Center, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: artaddei@unitus.it.
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Taddei
Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences (DEB), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: meschini@unitus.it.
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Meschini
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: fausto@unitus.it.
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Fausto
Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical, Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy. Electronic address: lucia.rocco@unina2.it.
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Rocco
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: fbuono@unitus.it.
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Buonocore
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: d.cervia@unitus.it.
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Cervia
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: scapigg@unitus.it.
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Scapigliati
D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000378:metabolism*; D019256:Cadmium Chloride; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000662:veterinary; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000662:veterinary; D014025:Titanium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium; D019256:Cadmium Chloride
CdCl(2); Immune system; In vitro toxicology; Sea bass; TiO(2) nanoparticles; Uptake