Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NP) are frequently used in a wide variety of applications because of their unique properties, but the consequences of exposure remain as-yet-unknown. In general, TiO2NP are relatively safe, however some studies corelate the exposure of nanoparticles with toxic effects, such as altered cell cycle, constriction of nuclear membranes, mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis, which leads to different diseases (pulmonary fibrosis, chronic inflammation and cardiovascular diseases). To determine the consequences of TiO2NP exposure on cells, we evaluated the effect of titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2NT) on fluorescently labelled (Mitotracker) mitochondrial network of murine lung epithelial (LA-4) cells, with stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED). STED is based on stimulated emission, which supresses the fluorescent emmision from fluorophores away from the center of excitation. The results show that especialy low concentrations TiO2NT (1:1/ 1:10 cell surface to nanoparticle surface ratio) alter the mitochondrial morphology only transiently. Three hours after incubation of LA4 cells with different concentrations of TiO2NT (1:1/ 1:10/ 1:100), the mitochondria were fragmented and similar to positive control (H2O2), in comparison to negative control, where the length of mitochondria were significantly longer. 48 hours after incubation of LA4 cells with TiO2NT (1:1/ 1:10/ 1:100), we noticed, that at low concentrations of TiO2NT (1:1 and 1:10), the mitochondrial network regenerated, even though nanoparticles were still present. Cells maintain integrity and functionality of mitochondria with various mechanisms: with antioxidants, repair mechanisms and degradation of defective mitochondria, with fission and fusion of the mitochondrial network. Our results show one more mechanism, which prevents toxic effects of TiO2NT: production of bionanoagregates on the outer cell membrane. We have observed that the establishment of the original mitochondrial morphological structure coincides with the formation of bionanoaggregates.
|