An Adverse Outcome Pathway for food nanomaterial-induced intestinal barrier disruption

Assessing the impact of TiO2 nanomaterials on intestinal cells: New evidence for epithelial translocation and potential pro-inflammatory effects

Understanding the potential impact of nanomaterials (NMs) on human health requires further investigation into the organ-specific nano-bio interplay at the cellular and molecular levels. We showed increased chromosomal damage in intestinal cells exposed to some of in vitro digested Titanium dioxide (TiO2) NMs. The present study aimed to explore possible mechanisms linked to the uptake, epithelial barrier integrity, cellular trafficking, as well as activation of pro-inflammatory pathways, after exposure to three TiO2-NMs (NM-102, NM-103, and NM-105). Using confocal microscopy, we show that all NMs, digested or not, were able to enter different types of intestinal cells. At the physiologically relevant concentration of 14 µg/mL, the digested TiO2-NMs did not compromise the transepithelial resistance, nor the levels of epithelial markers E-cadherin and Zonula occludens protein 1 (ZO-1), of polarized enterocyte monolayers. Nonetheless, all NMs were internalized by intestinal cells and, while NM-102 was retained in lysosomes, NM-103 and NM-105 were able to transverse the epithelial barrier through transcytosis. Moreover, 24 h exposure of 14 and 1.4 μg/mL digested NM-105, promoted interleukin IL-1β expression in activated M1 macrophages, indicating a potential pro-inflammatory action in the gut. Taken together, our findings shed light on the cell-specific nano-bio interplay of TiO2-NMs in the context of the intestinal tract and highlight transcytosis as a potential gateway for their systemic distribution. The potential pro-inflammatory action of digested NM-105 emphasizes the importance of pursuing research into the potential impact of NMs on human health and contribute to the weight of evidence to limit their use in food.