Effect of differently coated titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the lung in wild-type and Nrf2 null mice

Nanoparticles (NPs) are used in a variety of fields, including industry, medicine, and food production. Predicting the potential toxicity and biological effects of NPs is challenging due to the influence of their physicochemical properties, such as particle shape and coating constituents. This study investigated the pulmonary effects of differently coated titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs in wild-type and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) null mice. C57BL6/J wild-type and Nrf2 null mice were exposed to uncoated TiO2 NPs, or NPs coated with either hydroxide aluminum, or with aluminum hydroxide/stearic acid. After a two-week exposure period, no significant changes were observed in lung weight, cell counts of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and antioxidant gene expression in either mouse strain. In addition, human lung carcinoma A549 cells exposed to three types of TiO2 NPs showed no significant changes in cell viability, cytotoxicity, or intracellular reactive oxygen species production. These findings suggest that the toxicity of the TiO2 NPs, regardless of surface modification, is minimal to the respiratory system of mice and human alveolar epithelial cells.