CNR ExploRA

Articolo in rivista, 2023, ENG, 10.3390/nano13111783

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles: Effects on Development and Male Reproductive System

Elena Maria Scalisi, Roberta Pecoraro, Antonio Salvaggio, Fabiano Capparucci, Cosimo Gianluca Fortuna, Massimo Zimbone, Giuliana Impellizzeri, Maria Violetta Brundo

Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Science, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; roberta.pecoraro@unict.it (R.P.); mariavioletta.brundo@unict.it (M.V.B.) 2 Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily "A. Mirri", 90129 Palermo, Italy; antonio.salvaggio@izssicilia.it 3 Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmacological and Environmental Science, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy; fcapparucci@unime.it 4 Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; cg.fortuna@unict.it 5 CNR-IMM, 95123 Catania, Italy; massimo.zimbone@ct.infn.it (M.Z.); giuliana.impellizzeri@ct.infn.it (G.I.) * Correspondence: elenamaria.scalisi@unict.it; Tel.: +39-095-7306040

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 -NPs) are used intensively. Thanks to their extremely small size (1-100 nm), TiO2 -NPs are more absorbable by living organisms; consequently, they can cross the circulatory system and then be distributed in various organs including the reproductive organs. We have evaluated the possible toxic effect of TiO2 -NPs on embryonic development and the male reproductive system using Danio rerio as an organism model. TiO2 -NPs (P25, Degussa) were tested at concentrations of 1 mg/L, 2 mg/L, and 4 mg/L. TiO2 -NPs did not interfere with the embryonic development of Danio rerio, however, in the male gonads the TiO2 -NPs caused an alteration of the morphological/structural organization. The immunofluorescence investigation showed positivity for biomarkers of oxidative stress and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), both confirmed by the results of qRT-PCR. In addition, an increased expression of the gene responsible for the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone was found. Since Leydig cells are mainly involved in this activity, an increase in gene activity can be explained by the ability of TiO2 -NPs to act as endocrine disruptors, and, therefore, with androgenic activity.

Nanomaterials (Basel)