Induction of apoptosis associated with chromosomal DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation in leukemia L1210 cells by TiO2 nanoparticles

•TiO2 nanoparticles injure the culture cell membrane in a dose and time-dependent manner.•The cell death induced by TiO2 is accompanied by condensed nuclear and genomic DNA fragmentation.•The apoptotic enzyme caspase-3 is also activated by TiO2.•In addition, cell death could not be prevented by the endocytosis inhibitor cytochalasin D.•Thus, even contact of TiO2 to the cell membrane could induce apoptotic cell death.

We investigated the effects of nanosized TiO2 particles on the death of mouse leukemia L1210 cells. TiO2 particles suppressed proliferation and induced cell death, as measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release into the culture medium. Chromatin condensation, which is typical of the initiation of cell death, was observed in approximately 14% cells cultured with titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles for 12 h. Furthermore, giant DNA fragments of approximately 2 Mbp and high-molecular-weight DNA fragments between 100 kbp and 1 Mbp were observed in cells cultured for 18 h with TiO2 particles. These giant and high-molecular-weight DNA fragments were further degraded into smaller DNA fragments, appearing as DNA ladders. Corresponding to the generation of DNA fragments, caspase-3 activity increased in cells treated with TiO2 particles. TiO2 particle-induced LDH release was not inhibited by cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of endocytosis. These results suggest that nanosized TiO2 particles can induce apoptosis associated with DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation and that TiO2 particle-induced apoptosis is not caused by endocytosis but is associated with contact of the particles with the cell surface.