Exposure to TiO2 Nanostructured Aerosol Induces Specific Gene Expression Profile Modifications in the Lungs of Young and Elderly Rats

Abstract

Although aging is associated with a higher risk of developing respiratory pathologies, very few studies have assessed the impact of age on the adverse effects of inhaled nanoparticles. Using conventional and transcriptomic approaches, this study aimed to compare in young (12–13-week-old) and elderly (19-month-old) fisher F344 rats the pulmonary toxicity of an inhaled nanostructured aerosol of titanium dioxide (TiO2). Animals were nose-only exposed to this aerosol at a concentration of 10 mg/m3 for 6 h per day, 5 days per week for 4 weeks. Tissues were collected immediately (D0), and 28 days after exposure (D28). A pulmonary influx of neutrophilic granulocytes was observed in exposed rats at D0, but diminished with time while remaining significant until D28. Similarly, an increased expression of several genes involved in inflammation at the two post-exposure time-points was seen. Apart from an age-specific pulmonary influx of lymphocyte, only slight differences in physio-pathological responses following TiO2 exposure between young and elderly animals were noticed. Conversely, marked age-related differences in gene expression profiles were observed making possible to establish lists of genes specific to each age group and post-exposure times. These results highlight different signaling pathways that were disrupted in rats according to their age.