Acute high-dose titanium dioxide nanoparticle exposure alters gastrointestinal homeostasis in mice

Human exposure to a wide variety of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) is on the rise and use in common food additives increases gastrointestinal (GI) exposure. Host health is intricately linked to the GI microbiome and immune response. Perturbations in the microbiota can affect energy harvest, trigger inflammation and alter the mucosal barrier leading to various disease states such as obesity and inflammatory bowel diseases. We hypothesized that single high-dose titanium dioxide (TiO₂ ) NP exposure in mice would lead to dysbiosis and stimulate mucus production and local immune populations. Juvenile mice (9-10 weeks) were gavaged with 1 g/kg TiO₂ NPs and examined for changes in mucosa-associated bacteria abundance, inflammatory cytokines, mucin expression and body mass. Our data provide support that TiO₂ NP ingestion alters the GI microbiota and host defenses promoting metabolic disruption and subsequently weight gain in mice.