Immunomodulatory effects of single and combined exposure to ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles on rainbow trout challenged with Aeromonas salmonicida achromogenes

Abstract

The increasing release of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in aquatic ecosystems stresses the need for stringent investigations of nanoparticle mixture toxicity towards aquatic organisms. Here, the individual and combined immunotoxicity of two of the most consumed ENPs, the ZnO and the TiO₂ ones, was investigated on rainbow trout juveniles (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fish were exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations (21 and 210 µg L⁻¹ for the ZnO and 210 µg L⁻¹ for the TiO₂) for 28 days, and then challenged with the pathogenic bacterium, Aeromonas salmonicida achromogenes. Antioxidant and innate immune markers were assessed before and after the bacterial infection. None of the experimental conditions affected the basal activity of the studied innate immune markers and the redox balance. However, following the bacterial infection, the expression of genes coding for pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines (il1β and il10), as well as innate immune compounds (mpo) were significantly reduced in fish exposed to the mixture. Conversely, exposure to ZnO NPs alone seemed to stimulate the immune response by enhancing the expression of the IgM and c3 genes for instance. Overall, our results suggest that even though the tested ENPs at their environmental concentration do not strongly affect basal immune functions, their mixture may alter the development of the immune response when the organism is exposed to a pathogen by interfering with the inflammatory response.