Phoxim-induced damages of Bombyx mori larval midgut and titanium dioxide nanoparticles protective role under phoxim-induced toxicity

Damaging effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on the ovarian cells of Bombyx mori

As a new type of biologically compatible material, TiO₂ NPs are widely used in the industry as additives, drug carriers, and components of skin care products. Due to their wide use, residual TiO₂ NPs in the environment are a safety concern that has attracted extensive attention. In this study, the ovarian cell line BmN of the model organism Bombyx mori was used to reveal the damaging effects of TiO₂ NPs exposure. The results demonstrated that TiO₂ NPs exhibited a dose-dependent effect on the relative cell viability, with significant toxic effects being observed above 20 mg/L. Oxidative damage analysis showed that ROS accumulated significantly in BmN cells after exposure to TiO₂ NPs (P ≤ 0.05) and induced DNA damage. Further analysis revealed that the transcriptional levels of key superoxide dismutase genes (SOD) decreased significantly, while the transcriptions of key genes of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway (P38, MEK, ERK and REL) and the downstream inflammatory factor genes (IL6 and TNFSF5) were all significantly up-regulated (P ≤ 0.05). Overall, our results indicate that exposure to TiO₂ NPs leads to reduced transcription of antioxidant genes, accumulation of peroxides, and inflammation. These findings provide valuable data for the safety evaluation of environmental residues of TiO₂ NPs.

Protective effects of pretreatment with Fe2+, Cu2+, and Rb+ on phoxim poisoning in silkworm, Bombyx mori

BACKGROUND

Phoxim is a widely used organophosphorus pesticide in agriculture. People are paying more and more attention to its toxicity. At present, there is no appropriate way to solve the phoxim poisoning of silkworm, which severely affected the development of sericulture. Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, Rb⁺ exerted their biological effects through various forms in vivo.

METHODS

To evaluate the effect of Fe²⁺/Cu²⁺/Rb⁺ on phoxim poisoning in silkworm, Bombyx mori were treated with fresh mulberry leaves soaked in 2.5 mg/L phoxim for 2 min with 50 mg/L FeCl₂, 150 mg/L CuCl₂, or 0.5 mg/L RbCl from 5 days of the fifth-instar silkworm.

RESULTS

Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Rb⁺ pretreatments significantly inhibited the phoxim-induced reduction of survival rate and alleviated the phoxim-induced poisoning symptoms. The protective effects of Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Rb⁺ on phoxim poisoning might be due to their enhancement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and carboxylesterase (CarE) in the hemolymph and fat body of silkworm. This enhancement might reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and oxidative stress (OS) caused by phoxim poisoning. Thereby it reduced the damage to silkworm tissues and cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These results showed that Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Rb⁺ treatments protected the silkworm from phoxim poisoning by directly enhancing the activity of SOD, CAT, and CarE enzymes and reducing oxidative stress, but not dependent on the high expression of CYP genes. The use of Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Rb⁺ to enhance the activity of SOD, CAT, and CarE enzymes may be an underlying effective way to solve phoxim poisoning in the silkworm industry.

Peroxiredoxin alleviates the fitness costs of imidacloprid resistance in an insect pest of rice

Chemical insecticides have been heavily employed as the most effective measure for control of agricultural and medical pests, but evolution of resistance by pests threatens the sustainability of this approach. Resistance-conferring mutations sometimes impose fitness costs, which may drive subsequent evolution of compensatory modifier mutations alleviating the costs of resistance. However, how modifier mutations evolve and function to overcome the fitness cost of resistance still remains unknown. Here we show that overexpression of P450s not only confers imidacloprid resistance in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, the most voracious pest of rice, but also leads to elevated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through metabolism of imidacloprid and host plant compounds. The inevitable production of ROS incurs a fitness cost to the pest, which drives the increase or fixation of the compensatory modifier allele T65549 within the promoter region of N. lugens peroxiredoxin (NlPrx) in the pest populations. T65549 allele in turn upregulates the expression of NlPrx and thus increases resistant individuals' ability to clear the cost-incurring ROS of any source. The frequent involvement of P450s in insecticide resistance and their capacity to produce ROS while metabolizing their substrates suggest that peroxiredoxin or other ROS-scavenging genes may be among the common modifier genes for alleviating the fitness cost of insecticide resistance.

Tissue-specific genotoxicity and antioxidant imbalance of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NPTiO2) and inorganic lead (PbII) in a neotropical fish species

The aquatic environment is the major recipient of wastes containing nanoparticles and other contaminants. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NPTiO₂) are one of the most produced and used nanoparticle worldwide. This study investigated the toxicity of NPTiO₂, as well as the toxicity interaction between NPTiO₂ and lead (Pb), in response to genetic and biochemical biomarkers using freshwater fish Rhamdia quelen, as an animal model. The results showed genotoxicity in blood and kidney tissues. No effect of NPTiO₂ alone or in co-exposure with Pb on liver genotoxicity were observed. Alterations in the antioxidant hepatic enzymes activities, as well as alterations in glutathione levels indicated that NPTiO₂ alone or in co-exposure with Pb can cause antioxidant imbalance. The lipid peroxidation was also raised after exposure to NPTiO₂. In general, the results of this study indicated that both NPTiO₂ alone and their co-exposure with Pb are capable of producing significant toxic effects in short-term exposure.

Effect of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on the Resistance of Silkworm to Cytoplasmic Polyhedrosis Virus in Bombyx mori

Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV) is a serious disease harmful to silk industry, which is one of the major sources of financial support for farmers in many developing countries. So far, there is still no good way to prevent or treat this disease. In this study, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) were used to pretreat silkworm larvae, and good results were achieved in improving silkworm immunity and alleviating the damage of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus. The results showed that nano-titanium dioxide pretreatment could inhibit the proliferation of BmCPV in the midgut of silkworm, activate JAK/STAT and PI3K-AKT immune signaling pathways, and upregulate the expression of key immune genes, so as to improve the immunity of silkworm and enhance the resistance of silkworm to BmCPV.

Impact of co-exposure of aldrin and titanium dioxide nanoparticles at biochemical and molecular levels in Zebrafish

Aldrin (ALD), a persistent-organic-pollutant (POP), an organochlorine-cyclodiene-pesticide is highly toxic in nature. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TNP) are widely used for various industrial applications. Despite the remarkable research on pesticide toxicity, the work with impact of nanoparticles on POP has been dealt with marginally. Chemicals co-exist in the environment and exhibit interactive effects. An investigation was carried out to evaluate the individual and combined effects of ALD (6 ppm) and TNP (60 ppm) exposure at sub-lethal concentration for 24 h in zebrafish. Significant reversal of lipid peroxidation level in liver and brain tissues and restoration in enhanced catalase activity in all examined tissues were observed in combined group. For other parameters, combined exposure of ALD and TNP does not show significant reversal action on ALD toxicity. Further studies are inline to understand combined effects of both to achieve significant reversal of ALD toxicity by TNP nanoparticles with threshold concentration of aldrin.

Exogenous substances regulate silkworm fat body protein synthesis through MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways

Insect fat body is an important intermediate metabolic organ that plays an important role in protein metabolism and detoxification. In order to study the effects of TiO₂ NPs and phoxim on fat body protein synthesis through MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in silkworms, we determined the effects of TiO₂ NPs and phoxim, alone and in combination, on fat body protein content of silkworms, analyzed the gene expression profile of the fat body, and verified the expression of characteristic genes. We found that TiO₂ NPs and phoxim alone increased the total protein content of the fat body, and up-regulated MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway genes. TiO₂ NPs up-regulated the expression of two growth and development-related genes-insulin-like peptide and neuropeptide receptor B-by 5.17 and 3.89-fold, respectively. Phoxim up-regulated the expression of detoxification genes-P450, GST, and CarE2. Pretreatment with TiO₂ NPs could reduce phoxim-increased total protein content and up-regulated MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway genes and detoxification genes; the activities of detoxification enzymes were consistent with the gene expression pattern. Our results showed that MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways both regulate fat body protein synthesis in silkworms, but the target proteins induced to express were different under different inducing factors. Our finding may provide a reference for investigating the mechanism of protein synthesis regulation through MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.

Effect of oxidative phosphorylation signaling pathway on silkworm midgut following exposure to phoxim

Organophosphate pesticides are applied widely in the world for agricultural purposes, and their exposures often resulted in non-cocooning of Bombyx mori in China. Silkworm midgut is the major organ for digestion and nutrient absorption, importantly it is also a barrier against foreign substances and chemical pesticides. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of oxidative injury in silkworm midgut with phoxim induction. The results showed that the transcription level of oxidative phosphorylation signaling pathway genes of midgut under phoxim stress. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis revealed that 24 electron transport chain (ETC)-related genes were upregulated. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction results indicated that the ETC the genes encoding NADH-CoQ1, Succinic-Q, cyt c reductase-S, cyt c oxidase-S, cytochrome c oxidase polypeptide IV, ATP synthase, and vacuolar H+ ATP synthase were all significantly up-regulated by 1.50-, 1.31-, 1.42-, 1.44-, 1.70-, 2.03- and 1.43-fold, respectively. Phoxim induction enhanced the activity of ETC complex in mitochondria, and induced the accumulation of ROS in midgut. These results indicated that trace phoxim enhanced respiration in midgut, and the imbalance between the activity changes of ETC may led to reactive oxygen species accumulation. The ETC of mitochondria may be potential biomarkers of midgut toxicity in B. mori caused by phoxim exposure. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 167-175, 2017.

Thiamethoxam induces oxidative stress and antioxidant response in zebrafish (Danio Rerio) livers

Thiamethoxam, a second-generation neonicotinoid insecticide, was found to be toxic to nontarget aquatic organisms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the toxicity of thiamethoxam (0.30, 1.25, and 5.00 mg/L) on zebrafish (Danio rerio) livers at the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days. The reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and DNA damage were used to evaluate the toxic effects of thiamethoxam on zebrafish. Compared to control groups, ROS levels were ascended in the exposure period; SOD and CAT activities were dramatically increased during early exposure and then inhibited. GST activity only increased on days 28. MDA content was slightly elevated on days 21 and 28. Additionally, a clear dose-response relationship was found for DNA damage. In conclusion, thiamethoxam could induce oxidative stress and DNA damage on the exposed zebrafish. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 2006-2015, 2016.

Larval Exposure to Chlorpyrifos Affects Nutritional Physiology and Induces Genotoxicity in Silkworm Philosamia ricini (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Chlorpyrifos is a most widely used organophosphate insecticide because of its cost effectiveness and degradable nature. However, this pesticide enters and contaminates the environment either by direct application, spray drifts or crop run off and shows adverse effect on the non-targeted organisms. Philosamia ricini (eri silkworm), one of the most exploited, domesticated and commercialized non mulberry silkworm is known for mass production of eri silk. The silkworm larvae get exposed to pesticide residues on the leaves of food plants. The present study investigates the effect of commercial formulation of chlorpyrifos (Pyrifos-20 EC) on eri silkworm. Initially the LC50 value of chlorpyrifos was determined at 24-96 h and further experiments were carried out with sub lethal concentrations of the chlorpyrifos after 24 h of exposure period. The potential toxicity of chlorpyrifos was evaluated as a fuction of metabolism and nutritional physiology in 3rd, 4th, and 5th instar larvae. Alteration in histoarchitecture of 5th instar eri silkworm gut exposed to sub lethal concentration of chlorpyrifos formulation was also studied. Chlorpyrifos induced genotoxicity in silkworm hemocytes was also investigated by single cell gel electrophoresis, micronuclei assay, and apoptosis assay. Herein, LC50 values of chlorpyrifos were calculated as 3.83, 3.35, 2.68, and 2.35 mg/L at 24, 48, 72, and 96h respectively. A significant decrease in trehalose activity along with digestive enzyme activity was observed in chlorpyrifos affected groups (P < 0.05). Further, genotoxicity study revealed higher tail percentage, tail length and tail moment of the damage DNA in chlorpyrifos exposed groups (P < 0.001). Moreover, at 2.0 mg/L concentration, ~10 fold increases in tail length was observed as compared to the control. Results showed activation of caspase activity following 24 h chlorpyrifos exposure (1.5 and 2.0 mg/L) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, in control group less number of apoptotic cells was detected, however in both chlorpyrifos exposed groups' numbers of apoptotic cells were statistically higher (P < 0.001). Taken together, this study provides evidence that chlorpyrifos pollution might have adverse effect on overall nutritional physiology and genotoxicity of eri silkworm that could lead to reduced survivability of this economically beneficial insect.

Effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on nutrition metabolism in silkworm fat body

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an important economic insect with a fat body that plays a crucial role in the storage and transfer of nutrients. It is also known that TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) can improve feed efficiency and promote silk protein synthesis in the silkworm. In this study, we profiled gene expression in the silkworm fat body after TiO₂ NP treatment, validated the major RNA-seq findings, and determined the contents of trehalose and triglyceride, the activity of lipase, and the amount of total proteins. RNA-seq analysis revealed that TiO₂ NP treatment caused significant expression changes in 341 genes (P≤0.01), 138 of which were upregulated while the other 203 were downregulated. The expression levels of two target genes in the insulin signaling pathway and two protein metabolism-related target genes, three lipid metabolism-associated target genes, two carbohydrate metabolism related target genes and expression levels of seven heat shock protein genes were increased, and that of threonine dehydratase gene and fatty acid transport protein gene were decreased. The RNA-seq results of 16 genes were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. The lipase activity, content of trehalose, and amount of total proteins were elevated by 3.86-fold, 1.34-fold, and 1.21-fold, respectively, and the content of triglyceride was decreased by 0.94-fold after TiO₂ NP treatment. These results indicated that TiO₂ NPs activated the insulin signaling pathway, promoted the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrate, and improved nutrition metabolism. Our study provides new support for the understanding of the beneficial effect of TiO₂ NPs on silkworm nutrient metabolism.

Summary: Our study indicates that TiO₂ nanoparticles promote nutrient metabolism in the fat body of silkworms, and provide a reference for studies investigating the biological function of TiO₂ nanoparticles.

Mechanisms of TiO2 NPs-induced phoxim metabolism in silkworm (Bombyx mori) fat body

Silkworm is an important economic insect. Abuse of organophosphorus pesticides in recent years often leads to poisoning of silkworms, which significantly affects sericulture development by reducing silk production. Previous studies have shown that TiO2 NPs can effectively mitigate the damages caused by organophosphorus pesticides in silk glands and nerve tissues. The fat body is an important metabolic detoxification organ of silkworms, but it is unknown whether TiO2 NPs affect pesticide metabolism in fat body. In this study, we characterized the transcription of antioxidant genes and enzyme activity in fat body after TiO2 NPs and phoxim treatments using transcriptome sequencing, real-time PCR, and enzyme activity assay. Transcriptome sequencing detected 10 720, 10 641, 10 403, and 10 489 genes for control group, TiO2 NPs group, phoxim group, and TiO2 NPs+phoxim group, respectively. The TiO2 NPs+phoxim group had 705 genes with significantly differential expression (FDR<0.001), among which the antioxidant genes thioredoxin reductase 1 and glutathione S-transferase omega 3 were significantly upregulated. In phoxim group, the expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase delta (GSTd), and thioredoxin peroxidase (TPx) were increased by 1.365 -fold, 1.335 -fold, 1.642 -fold, and 1.765 -fold, respectively. The level changes of SOD, CAT, GSTd, and TPx were validated by real time PCR. The contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were increased by 1.598 -fold, 1.946 -fold, and 1.506 -fold, respectively, indicating that TiO2 NPs treatment can relieve phoxim-induced oxidative stress. To clarify the mechanism of TiO2 NPs's effect, the transcription levels of P450 gene family were measured for the TiO2 NPs+phoxim group; the expression levels of CYP4M5, CYP6AB4, CYP6A8, and CYP9G3 were elevated by 2.784 -fold, 3.047 -fold, 2.254 -fold, and 4.253 -fold, respectively, suggesting that high expression of P450 family genes can enhance the metabolism of phoxim in the fat body. The results of this study indicated that TiO2 NPs treatment promoted the transcriptional expression of the P450 family genes to improve the fat body's ability to metabolize phoxim and reduce phoxim-induced oxidative stress. This may be the main mechanism of TiO2 NPs' mitigation of phoxim-induced damages in the fat body.

Effects of phoxim on nutrient metabolism and insulin signaling pathway in silkworm midgut

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an important economic insect. Each year, poisoning caused by phoxim pesticide leads to huge economic losses in sericulture in China. Silkworm midgut is the major organ for food digestion and nutrient absorption. In this study, we found that the activity and expression of nutrition metabolism-related enzymes were dysregulated in midgut by phoxim exposure. DGE analysis revealed that 40 nutrition metabolism-related genes were differentially expressed. qRT-PCR results indicated that the expression levels of insulin/insulin growth factor signaling (IIS) pathway genes Akt, PI3K, PI3K60, PI3K110, IRS and PDK were reduced, whereas PTEN's expression was significantly increased in the midgut at 24 h after phoxim treatment. However, the transcription levels of Akt, PI3K60, PI3K110, IRS, InR and PDK were elevated and reached the peaks at 48 h, which were 1.48-, 1.35-, 1.21-, 2.24-, 2.89-, and 1.44-fold of those of the control, respectively. At 72 h, the transcription of these genes was reduced. Akt phosphorylation level was increasing along with the growth of silkworms in the control group. However, phoxim treatment led to increased Akt phosphorylation that surged at 24 h but gradually decreased at 48 h and 72 h. The results indicated that phoxim dysregulated the expression of IIS pathway genes and induced abnormal nutrient metabolism in silkworm midgut, which may be the reason of the slow growth of silkworms.

Investigations on the antifatigue and antihypoxic effects of Paecilomyces hepiali extract

Paecilomyces hepiali, one of the most valuable and effective Chinese medicinal herbs, possesses potential antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor and anti‑inflammatory properties. The present study aimed to investigate the antifatigue and antihypoxic effects of Paecilomyces hepiali extract (PHC) in a mouse model. Using a rotating rod, forced swimming and running assessment, the antifatigue activity of PHC was determined. PHC administration for 7 days had no effect on mouse horizontal or vertical movement, indicating no neurotoxicity at the selected doses was observed. Using a normobaric hypoxia, sodium nitrite toxicosis and acute cerebral ischemia assessments, PHC was confirmed to possess antihypoxic effects. PHC treatment for 7 days significantly enhanced the serum and liver levels of adenosine triphosphate, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, prior to and following 60 min of swimming. The levels of antioxidant‑associated proteins in the livers of the mice were analyzed using western blotting. PHC effectively increased the expression levels of phosphorylated (p)‑5'‑monophosphate (AMP)‑activated protein kinase (AMPK), p‑protein kinase B (AKT) and p‑mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The results of the present study demonstrated that PHC efficiently enhanced endurance from fatigue and had antihypoxic effects through elevation of the antioxidant capacity in the serum and liver, at least in part through the AMPK and AKT/mTOR pathways. These results indicate the potential of this natural product as an antioxidant in the treatment of fatigue, hypoxia and their associated diseases.

Neurotoxicity and biochemical responses in the earthworm Pheretima hawayana exposed to TiO2NPs

Serious concerns have been expressed about potential risks of manufactured TiO2NPs. In this research, toxicity of nanoparticulate and bulk TiO2 were examined to the earthworm Pheretima hawayana. The 24-h median lethal concentration (LC50) and sublethal endpoints were assessed. Both NPs and their bulk counterparts were toxic. The 24-h LC50 for TiO2NPs (145.36 mg kg(-1)) was highly toxic than that of bulk TiO2 (357.77 mg kg(-1)). The aim of the present work is to evaluate the suitability of P. hawayana and its biochemical responses to be used as a bioindicator organism and biomarkers of TiO2 toxicity. Earthworms were exposed to three sublethal concentrations of TiO2NPs (1, 10 and 100 µg kg(-1)) for 28 days to test acetylcholinesterase (AChE), antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase: SOD and catalase: CAT) activities and MDA content. The response of the antioxidant enzymes combined with AChE inhibition and MDA accumulation indicated that TiO2NPs could induce significant impairments to the earthworms at the actual environment tested concentrations. The results pointed out the high sensitivity of the antioxidant and oxidative stress related responses to TiO2NPs exposure, demonstrating their usefulness in environmental monitoring and risk assessment. The study highlights also the usefulness of earthworm P. hawayana as potential bioindicator species for assessing the risk of nanoparticles environmental contamination.

Characterization of an epsilon-class glutathione S-transferase involved in tolerance in the silkworm larvae after long term exposure to insecticides

This study assessed the effect of the pesticides on activity and expression of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in the midgut of the silkworm after intense selections by phoxim and fenpropathrin for five and four generations, respectively. GSTs activity towards cumene hydroperoxide (CHP), a substrate of GSH-dependent peroxidase, was significantly increased in the crude homogenate of midguts after long term exposure to the insecticides. An epsilon-class GST gene (BmGSTe2) was identified and showed elevated expression in the midguts of phoxim- and fenpropathrin-selected strains. Expression of BmGSTe2 was only detected in the midgut at transcriptional and translational levels. The recombinant BmGSTE2 possessed peroxidase activity and significantly inhibited by fenpropathrin, phoxim and chlorpyrifos in vitro. These results indicated that BmGSTE2 might be one of the enzymes involved in enhancing larval tolerance to the insecticides used. Furthermore, GST activity and expression level of BmGSTe2 might be used as biomarkers of organophosphorus and pyrethroid insecticide exposures.

Nanoparticulate TiO2 protection of midgut damage in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) following phoxim exposure

Bombyx mori (B. mori) is often subjected to phoxim poisoning in China due to phoxim exposure, which leads to a decrease in silk production. Nanoparticulate (NP) titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) has been shown to attenuate damages in B. mori caused by phoxim exposure. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of midgut injury due to organophosphorus insecticide exposure and its repair by nano-TiO2 pretreatment. In this study, phoxim exposure for 36 h led to significant decreases in body weight and survival and increased oxidative stress and midgut injury. Pretreatment with nano-TiO2 attenuated the phoxim-induced midgut injury, increased body weight and survival, and decreased oxidative stress in the midgut of B. mori. Digital gene-expression data showed that exposure to phoxim results in significant changes in the expression of 254 genes in the phoxim-exposed midgut and 303 genes in phoxim + nano-TiO2-exposed midgut. Specifically, phoxim exposure led to upregulation of Tpx, α-amylase, trypsin, and glycoside hydrolase genes involved in digestion and absorption. Phoxim exposure also led to the downregulation of Cyp450 and Cyp4C1 genes involved in an antioxidant capacity. In contrast, a combination of both phoxim and nano-TiO2 treatment significantly decreased the change in α-amylase, trypsin, and glycoside hydrolases (GHs), which are involved in digestion and absorption. These results indicated that Tpx, α-amylase, trypsin, GHs, Cyp450, and Cyp4C1 may be potential biomarkers of midgut toxicity caused by phoxim exposure and the attenuation of these toxic impacts by nano-TiO2.

Mechanism of enhanced Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus-resistance by titanium dioxide nanoparticles in silkworm

The infection of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) in silkworms is often lethal. It is difficult to prevent, and its lethality is correlated with both viral particle characteristics and silkworm strains. Low doses of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) can promote silkworm growth and improve its resistance to organophosphate pesticides. In this study, TiO2 NPs' effect on BmNPV resistance was investigated by analyzing the characteristics of BmNPV proliferation and transcriptional differences in silkworm midgut and the transcriptional changes of immunity related genes after feeding with TiO2 NPs. We found that low doses of TiO2 NPs improved the resistance of silkworm against BmNPV by 14.88-fold, with the mortalities of the experimental group and control group being 0.56% and 8.33% at 144 h, respectively. The proliferation of BmNPV in the midgut was significantly increased 72 h after infection in both experimental and control groups; the control group reached the peak at 120 h, while the experimental group took 24 more hours to reach the maximal value that was 12.63 times lower than the control, indicating that TiO2 NPs can inhibit BmNPV proliferation in the midgut. Consistently, the expression of the BmNPV-resistant gene Bmlipase-1 had the same increase pattern as the proliferation changes. Immune signaling pathway analysis revealed that TiO2 NPs inhibited the proliferation of silkworm BmNPV to reduce the activation levels of janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway, while promoting the expression of Bmakt to improve the immunity. Overall, our results demonstrate that TiO2 NPs increase silkworm resistance against BmNPV by inhibiting virus proliferation and improving immunity in silkworms.

Molecular mechanisms of reduced nerve toxicity by titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the phoxim-exposed brain of Bombyx mori

Bombyx mori (B. mori), silkworm, is one of the most important economic insects in the world, while phoxim, an organophosphorus (OP) pesticide, impact its economic benefits seriously. Phoxim exposure can damage the brain, fatbody, midgut and haemolymph of B. mori. However the metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates in phoxim-exposed B. mori can be improved by Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs). In this study, we explored whether TiO2 NPs treatment can reduce the phoxim-induced brain damage of the 5th larval instar of B. mori. We observed that TiO2 NPs pretreatments significantly reduced the mortality of phoxim-exposed larva and relieved severe brain damage and oxidative stress under phoxim exposure in the brain. The treatments also relieved the phoxim-induced increases in the contents of acetylcholine (Ach), glutamate (Glu) and nitric oxide (NO) and the phoxim-induced decreases in the contents of norepinephrine (NE), Dopamine (DA), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and reduced the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Na+/K+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, and Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase activities and the activation of total nitric oxide synthase (TNOS) in the brain. Furthermore, digital gene expression profile (DGE) analysis and real time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) assay revealed that TiO2 NPs pretreatment inhibited the up-regulated expression of ace1, cytochrome c, caspase-9, caspase-3, Bm109 and down-regulated expression of BmIap caused by phoxim; these genes are involved in nerve conduction, oxidative stress and apoptosis. TiO2 NPs pretreatment also inhibited the down-regulated expression of H+ transporting ATP synthase and vacuolar ATP synthase under phoxim exposure, which are involved in ion transport and energy metabolism. These results indicate that TiO2 NPs pretreatment reduced the phoxim-induced nerve toxicity in the brain of B. mori.

Molecular mechanisms of phoxim-induced silk gland damage and TiO2 nanoparticle-attenuated damage in Bombyx mori

Phoxim is a useful organophosphate (OP) pesticide used in agriculture in China, however, exposure to this pesticide can result in a significant reduction in cocooning in Bombyx mori (B. mori). Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been shown to decrease phoxim-induced toxicity in B. mori; however, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms of silk gland damage due to OP exposure and repair of gland damage by TiO2 NP pretreatment. In the present study, exposure to phoxim resulted in a significant reduction in cocooning rate in addition to silk gland damage, whereas TiO2 NP attenuated phoxim-induced gland damage, increased the antioxidant capacity of the gland, and increased cocooning rate in B. mori. Furthermore, digital gene expression data suggested that phoxim exposure led to significant alterations in the expression of 833 genes. In particular, phoxim exposure caused significant down-regulation of Fib-L, Ser2, Ser3, and P25 genes involved in silk protein synthesis, and up-regulation of SFGH, UCH3, and Salhh genes involved in silk protein hydrolysis. A combination of both phoxim and TiO2 NP treatment resulted in marked changes in the expression of 754 genes, while treatment with TiO2 NPs led to significant alterations in the expression of 308 genes. Importantly, pretreatment with TiO2 NPs increased Fib-L, Ser2, Ser3, and P25 expression, and decreased SFGH, UCH3, and Salhh expression in silk protein in the silk gland under phoxim stress. Therefore, Fib-L, Ser2, Ser3, P25, SFGH, UCH3, and Salhh may be potential biomarkers of silk gland toxicity in B. mori caused by phoxim exposure.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles relieve silk gland damage and increase cocooning of Bombyx mori under phoxim-induced toxicity

Organophosphate pesticides are applied widely in the world for agricultural purposes, and their exposures often resulted in non-cocooning of Bombyx mori in China. TiO2 nanoparticles have been demonstrated to increase pesticide resistance of Bombyx mori. While the toxicity of phoxim is well-documented, very limited information exists on the mechanisms of TiO2 nanoparticles improving the cocooning function of Bombyx mori following exposure to phoxim. The present study was, therefore, undertaken to determine whether TiO2 nanoparticles attenuate silk gland injury and elevate cocooning of B. mori following exposure to phoxim. The findings suggested that phoxim exposure resulted in severe damages of the silk gland structure and significantly decreased the cocooning in the silk gland of Bombyx mori. Furthermore, phoxim exposure significantly resulted in reductions of total protein concentrations and suppressed expressions of silk protein synthesis-related genes, including Fib-L, Fib-H, P25, Ser-2, and Ser-3, in the silk gland. TiO2 nanoparticle pretreatment, however, could significantly relieve silk gland injury of Bombyx mori. Importantly, TiO2 nanoparticles could remarkably elevate cocooning and total protein contents and promote expressions of Fib-L, Fib-H, P25, Ser-2, and Ser-3 in the silk gland following exposure to phoxim.