Abstract
Currently, impacts of exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) on the cardiovascular system are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TiO2 NPs induce myocarditis and its underlying molecular mechanism in the cardiac inflammation in mice. Mice were exposed to TiO2 NPs for 6 months; biochemical parameters of serum and expression of Th1-related and Th2-related cytokines in the heart were investigated. The results showed that TiO2 NP exposure resulted in cardiac lesions coupling with pulmonary inflammation; increases of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), C-reaction protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH), adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels; and a reduction of nitric oxide (NOx) level in the serum. These were associated with increases of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), creatine kinase, CRP, adhesion molecule-1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)1, STAT3, or STAT6, GATA-binding domain-3, GATA-binding domain-4, endothelin-1 expression levels, and T-box expressed in T cells expression level that is the master regulator of pro-inflammatory cytokines and transcription factors in the heart. These findings imply that TiO2 NP exposure may increase the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases.
Highlights
Nanotechnology or nanomaterial applications have caused large impacts on human daily life
Confocal Raman microscopy further suggested that the black agglomerate was due to the deposition of TiO2 NPs in the lungs [31]
With increasing TiO2 NP dose, the numbers of inflammatory cells such as macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils and the levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNFα in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were greatly elevated as compared to the control (Fig. 2, P < 0.05)
Summary
Nanotechnology or nanomaterial applications have caused large impacts on human daily life. The exposure of workers, consumers, and susceptible groups should be of high concern due to nanomaterial production or uses. Cardiovascular effects due to nanoparticle (NP) exposure may be a possible health risk [1,2,3]. The mechanisms of these hazardous effects are involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, vasomotor dysfunction, neuronal signaling, and possible translocation of NPs from the airways to the circulation [3]. TiO2 NPs are widely applied in an increasing number of products including
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