Effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on glucose homeostasis after oral administration

As food additives, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been widely used in various products that are usually simultaneously consumed with a high content of sugar, thus necessitating research on the effect of TiO2 NPs on glucose homeostasis. We conducted an animal study to explore the effect of orally administrated TiO2 NPs on glucose absorption and metabolism in rats at 0, 2, 10 and 50mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for 30 and 90days. The results showed that oral exposure to TiO2 NPs caused a slight and temporary hypoglycemic effect in rats at 30days post-exposure but recovered at 90days post-exposure. Decreased levels of intestinal glucose absorption and increased levels of hepatic glucose metabolism may be responsible for the hypoglycemic effect. Remodeling of the villi in the small intestine that decreased the surface area available for glucose absorption and increased levels of hepatic glucose uptake, utilization and storage related to hepatocellular injury are supposed to be the mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that dietary intake of TiO2 NPs as food additives could affect the absorption and metabolism of glucose. We conducted an animal study to explore the effect of orally administrated TiO2 nanoparticles on glucose absorption and metabolism in rats and found TiO2 nanoparticles caused a slight and temporary hypoglycemic effect at 30days post-exposure but recovered at 90days post-exposure. Remodeling of the villi in the small intestine that decreased the surface area available for glucose absorption and increased levels of hepatic glucose uptake, utilization and storage related to hepatocellular injury are supposed to be the mechanisms.