Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Altered the lncRNA Expression Profile in Human Lung Cells

Area of Science:

• Nanotoxicology
• Molecular Biology
• Epigenetics

Background:

• Respiration is a primary exposure route for titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), with the lungs as the main target organ.
• The precise mechanisms underlying TiO2 NP-induced respiratory toxicity remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of TiO2 NPs on the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profile in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B).
• To elucidate potential toxicological mechanisms of TiO2 NPs through lncRNA expression analysis.

Main Methods:

• BEAS-2B cells were exposed to 100 μg/mL TiO2 NPs for 48 hours.
• RNA sequencing was employed to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs compared to a control group.
• Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis was performed on targeted messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of differentially expressed lncRNAs.

Main Results:

• A total of 45,769 lncRNAs were identified, with 277 exhibiting differential expression upon TiO2 NP treatment.
• KEGG pathway analysis indicated enrichment in the pyrimidine metabolism pathway for the targeted mRNAs of these differentially expressed lncRNAs.

Conclusions:

• TiO2 NPs exposure alters the lncRNA expression profile in bronchial epithelial cells.
• Epigenetic modifications, specifically changes in lncRNA expression, may contribute to the respiratory toxicity induced by TiO2 NPs.