ТiО(2) hepatotoxicity under long-term administration to rats

Abstract

Titanium dioxide (ТіО2) powder which is used as a white dye was considered to be an inert material for a long time despite its accumulation in liver tissues after penetration into organism. The aim of the study was to estimate biochemical markers of liver functioning in blood plasma and ATPase activity of erythrocyte plasma membrane under the oral administration of ТіО2 nanoparticles suspension (0.1 mg/kg, daily) to Wistar rats for 30 and 100 days. A significant increase of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activity as well as of direct, indirect and bound bilirubin content, a decrease of connjugated (taurocholic, taurochenodeoxycholic, taurodeoxycholic, glycocholic, glycochenodeoxycholic, and glycodeoxycholic) and free (glycodeoxycholic and deoxycholic) bile acids concentration with concomitant increase of free cholic acid concentration in blood plasma of rats under ТіО2 administration were revealed, indicating a significant impairment of pigment exchange in the liver of rats. Under ТіО2 administration a substantial inhibition of erythrocyte plasma membrane Мg2+-dependent ouabain-sensitive Na+,K+-ATPase and ouabain-insensitive ATPase was observed. These results presume the disturbance of transplasmalema ion-transporting processes and cells ionic homeostasis induced by ТіО2.

Keywords

• alanine aminotransferase
• aspartate aminotransferase
• bile acids­
• bilirubin
• plasma membrane atpase activities
• tio2 nanoparticles