Disposition Kinetics and Tissue Distribution of Titanium Dioxide (TiO<sub>2</Sub>) Nanoparticles Following Single Exposure in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are one among the several environmental contaminants essentially due to their widespread applications in food, medicine, cosmetics, electronics, and several other applications. The current experimental study was undertaken to determine the toxicokinetic variables and tissue distribution profile of titanium (Ti) following single intraperitoneal (i.p) administration of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) in male Wistar rats. The Tmax(obs.), Cmax (obs.), the elimination half-life (t1/2k10), the area under the curve (AUC0-336), and AUC0-∞ of TiO2 following single i.p administration of TiO2 NPs in whole blood was 0.5h, 0.26 ± 0.03 μg.ml-l, 486.31 ± 39.66 h, 48.81 ± 0.54 μg/ml*h and 128.28 ± 7.17 μg/ml*h, respectively. The mean Titanium (Ti) concentration ratio for tissue(s)- to whole blood measured at 336 h as well as the Cmax(obs.) was in the order of liver > spleen > lung > kidney > testis > brain following single i.p administration. The elimination half-life (t1/2k10) was in the order of spleen > kidney > liver > lung. The toxicokinetic and tissue distribution profile TiO2 NPs thus derived would serve as baseline data to execute long-term studies with toxicoepidemiological relevant concentration so as to re-visit safety pharmacology governing TiO2 -nanoparticles exposure from various sources including pharmaceuticals.