Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) Nanoparticle Toxicity in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model

Sen-Ting Huang; Jian-He Lu; Sherwin M Jualo; Lemmuel L Tayo; Wan-Nurdiyana-Wan Mansor; Yi-Chieh Lai; Chih-Lung Wang; How-Ran Chao

doi:10.3390/toxics11120989

Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) Nanoparticle Toxicity in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model

Toxics. 2023 Dec 5;11(12):989. doi: 10.3390/toxics11120989.

Authors

Sen-Ting Huang^{1

2}, Jian-He Lu³, Sherwin M Jualo⁴, Lemmuel L Tayo⁴, Wan-Nurdiyana-Wan Mansor⁵, Yi-Chieh Lai⁶, Chih-Lung Wang^{7

8}, How-Ran Chao^{1

4

9

10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung County, Neipu 912, Taiwan.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Pingtung Veterans General Hospital, Pingtung County, Pingtung City 900, Taiwan.
³ Center for Agricultural, Forestry, Fishery, Livestock and Aquaculture Carbon Emission Inventory and Emerging Compounds, General Research Service Center, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung County, Neipu 912, Taiwan.
⁴ School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering and Science, Mapúa University, Intramuros, Manila 1002, Philippines.
⁵ Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology & Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur 21300, Malaysia.
⁶ Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Yanchao, Kaohsiung City 824005, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Cheng Shiu University, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung City 833, Taiwan.
⁸ Center for Environmental Toxin and Emerging-Contaminant Research, Cheng Shiu University, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung City 833, Taiwan.
⁹ Institute of Food Safety Management, College of Agriculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung County, Neipu 912, Taiwan.
¹⁰ School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Sanmin, Kaohsiung City 807, Taiwan.
¹¹ Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Kampus C Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia.

Abstract

Titanium dioxide is a compound that is used in the food, cosmetic, and paint industries; however, it is still toxic to humans and the environment. This study determined the toxicities of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) in a Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model. The effects of commercially available (C-TiO₂) and synthetically (S-TiO₂) prepared TiO₂ NP solutions on lethality, lifespan, growth, reproduction, locomotion, and gene expression were studied in C. elegans. Exposure to TiO₂ NPs (0.0, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/L) did not result in any change to the survival rate or body length of the nematodes, regardless of the concentration. However, there was a decrease in the reproduction (brood size) and locomotion (body bending and head thrashing) of the nematodes as the TiO₂ NP concentration increased. The longevity of the nematodes was shortened following TiO₂ NP exposure. The gene expression of sod-1, sod-3, ctl-1, ctl-2, cyp35A2, mlt-1, and mlt-2 in the nematodes showed that there was an overexpression of all genes when the worms were exposed to 1 mg/L C-TiO₂ or 10 mg/L S-TiO₂. It was therefore concluded that compared with S-TiO₂, C-TiO₂ possibly causes more toxicity or genotoxicity in the C. elegans model.

Keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans; neurobehavioral toxicity; reproductive toxicity; titanium dioxide; toxic chemical.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants (NSTC 110-2221-E-202-009-MY3 and 112-2221-E-020-004-) from the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan. The study was partially supported by the grant from Pingtung Veterans General Hospital (PG11203-0295).