The toxicity and oxidative stress of TiO₂ nanoparticles in marine abalone (Haliotis diversicolor supertexta)

Zhu, Xiaoshan; Zhou, Jin; Cai, Zhonghua

The toxicity and oxidative stress of TiO₂ nanoparticles in marine abalone (Haliotis diversicolor supertexta)

2011

Zhu, Xiaoshan | Zhou, Jin | Cai, Zhonghua

The increasing use of nanotechnology highlights the need to understand and clarify the environmental impacts of nanomaterials. In this study, the acute toxicity and oxidative stress of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO₂) in mature marine abalone (Haliotis diversicolor supertexta) were assessed. No acute effect was found in any of the treatment groups with nTiO₂ concentration gradients ranging from 0.1 to 10mg/L. However, the activity of an antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly increased in the group that was exposed to 1.0mg/L nTiO₂. The content of a non-enzymatic antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), significantly decreased in the groups with an nTiO₂ concentration ⩾1.0mg/L. The level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) was found to increase as the nTiO₂ dose increased. Furthermore, NO was produced in excess in abalone. These results demonstrated that, although nTiO₂ is not acutely toxic to abalone, it does exert oxidative stress on abalone.

Показать больше [+]