Antioxidant defences and haemocyte internalization in Limnoperna fortunei exposed to TiO2 nanoparticles

TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NP) have been incorporated into a large range of materials for different applications in the last decades and are very likely to appear in wastewater and effluents, eventually reaching the aquatic environment. Therefore, the assessment of the biological impact of TiO2-NP on aquatic ecosystem is of a major concern. The mussels represent a target group for TiO2-NP toxicity, as they are filter feeders and are capable of bioaccumulating toxic compounds. Furthermore, the exotic organism Limnoperna fortunei, golden mussel, is a freshwater bivalve that has been used in biomonitoring environmental conditions. In this work, the TiO2-NP's ability to interact with haemocytes of golden mussel was assessed by transmission electron microscopy. The enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses were evaluated by superoxide dismutase (Sod) and catalase (Cat) activities and protein sulfhydryl content, which were measured after the golden mussel was exposed to TiO2-NP (1, 5, 10 and 50 μg mL−1). Results demonstrate that TiO2-NP was internalized by cells, causing alterations in haemocytes membrane. Antioxidant activity of Sod and Cat decreased after 2 h TiO2-NP exposure. After 4 h exposure, the enzymatic antioxidant activity was restored. Notably, the protein sulfhydryl content decreased after 2 h to all the TiO2-NP concentrations and no alterations were observed after 4 h of TiO2-NP exposure. These results demonstrate the potential of golden mussel as sentinel organism to TiO2-NP exposure.