Multigenerational exposure to nano‐TiO2 induces ageing as a stress response mitigated by environmental interactions

Laura Bradford, Stephen Kissane, Elijah Hoffman, Eugenia Valsami-Jones, James B. Brown, John K. Colbourne, Iseult Lynch*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Despite their ubiquity in personal care products, the health implications of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanomaterials (NMs) are under strenuous investigation for their potential as a carcinogen, whereas other evidence has shown links with premature ageing. Both potential hazards are manifested after chronic exposure. To explore the chronic effects of TiO2 NMs in the environment, a multigenerational study using the model test species Daphnia magna is conducted. Phenotypical characteristics associated with ageing are observed (loss or shortening of tails and lipid accumulation) with increased expression of highly conserved key stress response genes involved in inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. These responses are visible in continuously exposed daphnids over four generations and in daphnids removed from maternal exposure even three generations later. However, exposure to the “aged” variants of these NMs at the same concentrations significantly reduced these effects, and exposure in medium containing natural organic matter is less severe than in salt-only medium.
Original languageEnglish
Article number2000083
Number of pages15
JournalAdvanced NanoBiomed Research
Volume1
Issue number6
Early online date10 Mar 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 19 Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
This work was funded via a Natural Environment Research Council Highlights grant (NE/N006569/1), with additional support from the H2020 project NanoSolveIT (Grant Agreement No. 814572). The authors acknowledge use of the UoB Daphnia facility and the Environmental Transcriptomics facility, and the use of the School of Materials and Metallurgy TEM center. The authors further acknowledge Paul Stanley and Theresa Morris (School of Materials and Metallurgy) for assistance with the TEM Daphnia specimen preparations.

Keywords

  • ecotoxicology
  • epigenetic effects
  • nanoparticle transformations
  • reproductive effects

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