Shape engineered TiO₂nanoparticles in Caenorhabditis elegans: a Raman imaging based approach to assist tissue-specific toxicological studies

Abstract

C. elegans model organism was fed with commercial and shape engineered titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs). Raman mapping were performed in order to guide specific toxicological studies in those tissues in which NPs were detected.

Food-Grade Titanium Dioxide Induces Toxicity in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and Acute Hepatic and Pulmonary Responses in Mice

“…Like other types of TiO 2 NPs [ 34 , 35 , 36 ], E171 can be absorbed by C. elegans , passing biological barriers and exerting acute toxicological effects. Of particular concern is its effects on the reproduction and development of worms, which confirms the ability of TiO 2 NPs to cause damage that can be transmitted from one generation to another.…”

“…It was propagated at 20 °C on a solid nematode growth medium (NGM) seeded with Escherichia coli OP50 (from CGC) as food. The effects of E171 on worm mortality, pharyngeal function, reproduction, and development were investigated, as per the method described by Iannarelli et al (2016) [ 34 ].…”

“…With TEM, we found that 35% of these particles had a diameter below 100 nm, which was confirmed using ICP-MS [ 32 ]. We evaluated the effects of E171 on an invertebrate nematode ( C. elegans ), which had already employed to test the effects of TiO 2 NPs of various shapes and sizes [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Previous studies show that rod-shaped TiO 2 NPs are more toxic for worms than bipyramidal and spherical ones, severely affecting pharyngeal function, reproduction, and larval growth—although no differences in biological distribution and accumulation have been found [ 34 ].…”

“…We evaluated the effects of E171 on an invertebrate nematode ( C. elegans ), which had already employed to test the effects of TiO 2 NPs of various shapes and sizes [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Previous studies show that rod-shaped TiO 2 NPs are more toxic for worms than bipyramidal and spherical ones, severely affecting pharyngeal function, reproduction, and larval growth—although no differences in biological distribution and accumulation have been found [ 34 ]. E171, at doses that did not affect the worm’s viability or lifespan, were found to significantly impair pharyngeal function, reproduction, and development.…”

Evaluation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome Activating Effects of a Large Panel of TiO2 Nanomaterials in Macrophages

“…Sample NT4 represents a truncated bipyramid shape TiO 2 NM with an aspect ratio of 3:2, which has been synthesized by the University of Turin (Turin, Italy). Together with seven further test samples (i.e., NT5 to NT11) these NMs were all purchased or synthesized, and subsequently characterized, within the framework of the EU FP7 metrology project SetNanoMetro [27][28][29]. The other TiO 2 NMs used in our study included the JRC repository samples NM100 (=NT12), NM101 (=NT13), NM103 (=NT14) and NM104 (=NT15) characterized and previously studied within the SIINN ERANET project NanOxiMet (for characteristics, see: https://www.nanopartikel.info/projekte/era-net-siinn/nanoximet/) and a set of TiO 2 NMs that was characterized and investigated within the FP7 project ENPRA, i.e., NM101 (=N16), NRCWE001 (=NT17), NRCWE002 (=NT18) and NRCWE 003 (=NT19) (for characteristics, see: [30,31]).…”