Damaging effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on the ovarian cells of Bombyx mori

As a new type of biologically compatible material, TiO2 NPs are widely used in the industry as additives, drug carriers, and components of skin care products. Due to their wide use, residual TiO2 NPs in the environment are a safety concern that has attracted extensive attention. In this study, the ovarian cell line BmN of the model organism Bombyx mori was used to reveal the damaging effects of TiO2 NPs exposure. The results demonstrated that TiO2 NPs exhibited a dose-dependent effect on the relative cell viability, with significant toxic effects being observed above 20 mg/L. Oxidative damage analysis showed that ROS accumulated significantly in BmN cells after exposure to TiO2 NPs (P <= 0.05) and induced DNA damage. Further analysis revealed that the transcriptional levels of key superoxide dismutase genes (SOD) decreased significantly, while the transcriptions of key genes of the MAPK/NF-kappa B signaling pathway (P38, MEK, ERK and REL) and the downstream inflammatory factor genes (IL6 and TNFSF5) were all significantly up-regulated (P <= 0.05). Overall, our results indicate that exposure to TiO2 NPs leads to reduced transcription of antioxidant genes, accumulation of peroxides, and inflammation. These findings provide valuable data for the safety evaluation of environmental residues of TiO2 NPs.

Automated summary

The research found that TiO2 NPs have toxic effects on the viability of BmN cells, with significant toxicity observed above 21 mg/L; Exposure to TiO2 NPs leads to ROS accumulation and DNA damage; Exposure to TiO2 NPs reduces the transcription of antioxidant genes, accumulates peroxides, and induces inflammation.