Genotoxic testing of titanium dioxide anatase nanoparticles using the wing-spot test and the comet assay in Drosophila

•The genotoxicity of TiO2 NPs and their bulk form was evaluated in Drosophila.•There is a lack of mutagenicity for both TiO2 forms evaluated in the wing-spot test.•Only TiO2 NPs show DNA damage in Drosophila hemocytes measured by the comet assay.•Using more than one genetic-endpoint is suitable for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mutation research. Genetic toxicology and environmental mutagenesis 2015-01, Vol.778, p.12-21
Main Authors: Carmona, Erico R., Escobar, Bibi, Vales, Gerard, Marcos, Ricard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bioassays
Comet Assay
Cytotoxicity
Cytotoxins - toxicity
DNA Damage
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster - cytology
Drosophila melanogaster - drug effects
Drosophila melanogaster - genetics
Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism
Hemocytes - cytology
Hemocytes - drug effects
Hemocytes - metabolism
Insects
Larva - cytology
Larva - drug effects
Larva - genetics
Larva - metabolism
Metal Nanoparticles - toxicity
Mutagenicity Tests
Nanomaterials
Nanoparticles
Physical chemistry
TiO2
Titanium - chemistry
Titanium - toxicity
Titanium oxide powders
Trypan Blue
Wings, Animal - drug effects
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Summary:•The genotoxicity of TiO2 NPs and their bulk form was evaluated in Drosophila.•There is a lack of mutagenicity for both TiO2 forms evaluated in the wing-spot test.•Only TiO2 NPs show DNA damage in Drosophila hemocytes measured by the comet assay.•Using more than one genetic-endpoint is suitable for genotoxic testing of TiO2 NPs. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are widely used for preparations of sunscreens, cosmetics, food and personal care products. However, the possible genotoxic risk associated with this nano-scale material exposure is not clear, especially in whole organisms. In the present study, we explored the in vivo genotoxic activity of TiO2 NPs as well as their TiO2 bulk form using two well-established genotoxic assays, the wing spot test and the comet assay in Drosophila melanogaster. To determine the extent of tissue damage induced by TiO2 NPs in Drosophila larvae, the trypan blue dye exclusion test was also applied. Both compounds were supplied to third instar larvae by ingestion at concentration ranging from 0.08 to 1.60mg/mL. The results obtained in the present study indicate that TiO2 NPs can reach and induce cytotoxic effects on midgut and imaginal disc tissues of larvae, but they do not promote genotoxicity in the wing-spot test of Drosophila. However, when both nano- and large-size forms of TiO2 were evaluated with the comet assay in Drosophila hemocytes, a significant increase in DNA damage, with a direct dose-response pattern, was observed for TiO2 NPs. The results obtained with the comet assay suggest that the primary DNA damage associated with TiO2 NPs exposure in Drosophila could be associated with specific physico-chemical properties of nano-TiO2, since no effects were observed with the bulk form. This study remarks the usefulness of using more than one genetic end-point in the evaluation of the genotoxic potential of nanomaterials.
ISSN:1383-5718
1879-3592
DOI:10.1016/j.mrgentox.2014.12.004