Antioxidant imbalance and genotoxicity detected in fish induced by titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NpTiO2) and inorganic lead (PbII)

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2019 Apr:67:42-52. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2019.01.009. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Abstract

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NpTiO2) are the most widely-used nanoparticle type and the adsorption of metals such as lead (PbII) onto their surface is a major source of concern to scientists. This study evaluated the effects of the associated exposure to both types of contaminant, i.e., lead (a known genotoxic metal) and NpTiO2, in a freshwater fish (Astyanax serratus) through intraperitoneal injection for an acute assay of 96 h. The effects of this exposure were evaluated using the comet assay, DNA diffusion assay and piscine micronucleus test, as well as the quantification of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GST) and metallothioneins. Our findings indicate that co-exposure of PbII with NpTiO2 can provoke ROS imbalances, leading to DNA damage in the blood and liver tissue of A. serratus, as well as modifying erythropoiesis in this species, inducing necrosis and changing the nuclear morphology of the erythrocytes.

Keywords: Associated contamination; Biochemical biomarkers; Comet assay; Cytotoxicity; Metallic nanoparticles.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Catalase / metabolism
  • Characiformes / physiology*
  • Comet Assay
  • DNA Damage*
  • Drug Interactions
  • Glutathione Transferase / metabolism
  • Lead / toxicity*
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Micronucleus Tests
  • Nanoparticles / toxicity*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism*
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Titanium / toxicity*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / toxicity*

Substances

  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • titanium dioxide
  • Lead
  • Titanium
  • Catalase
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • Glutathione Transferase