Effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on small intestinal mucosa in rats

Penetration of titanium dioxide nanoparticles into enterocytes after their administration into isolated loop of rat small intestine was shown in vivo by transmission electron microscopy. Using electron diffraction, titanium dioxide nanoparticles were identified in the apical regions of the cells under plasma membranes and in deeper parts of the cytoplasm as solitary objects or small aggregations. Water dispersions of nanoparticles (3-h exposure to high concentrations) caused no appreciable morphological changes in enterocyte ultrastructure. A 28-day subacute intragastric administration of water dispersion of nanoparticles to rats led to titanium accumulation in the liver, their level was significantly higher than in the control group, which was shown by mass spectrometry with inductive-bound plasma. These data indicated the possibility of penetration of titanium dioxide nanoparticles through the gastrointestinal barrier under near-physiological conditions.