In Vitro Co Exposure to CeO2 Nanomaterials from Diesel Engine Exhaust and Benzo(a)Pyrene Induces Additive DNA Damage in Sperm and Cumulus Cells but not in Oocytes

Martina Cotena (1, 2) , Melanie Auffan (2) , Virginie Tassistro (1) , Noémie Resseguier (3) , Jérôme Rose (2, 4) , Jeanne Perrin (1, 5)

1 IMBE - Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale
2 CEREGE - Centre européen de recherche et d'enseignement des géosciences de l'environnement
3 TIMONE - Hôpital de la Timone [CHU - APHM]
4 Duke University [Durham]
5 LA CONCEPTION - Hôpital de la Conception [CHU - APHM]

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a recognized reprotoxic compound and the most widely investigated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in ambient air; it is widespread by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels along with cerium dioxide nanomaterials (CeO2 NMs), which are used in nano based diesel additives to decrease the emission of toxic compounds and to increase fuel economy. The toxicity of CeO2 NMs on reproductive organs and cells has also been shown. However, the effect of the combined interactions of BaP and CeO2 NMs on reproduction has not been investigated. Herein, human and rat gametes were exposed in vitro to combusted CeO2 NMs or BaP or CeO2 NMs and BaP in combination. CeO2 NMs were burned at 850 °C prior to mimicking their release after combustion in a diesel engine. We demonstrated significantly higher amounts of DNA damage after exposure to combusted CeO2 NMs (1 g L 1) or BaP (1.13 mol L 1) in all cell types considered compared to unexposed cells. Co exposure to the CeO2 NMs BaP mixture induced additive DNA damage in sperm and cumulus cells, whereas no additive effect was observed in rat oocytes. This result could be related to the structural protection of the oocyte by cumulus cells and to the oocyte's efficient system to repair DNA damage compared to that of cumulus and sperm cells.

Mots clés: genotoxicity; nanomaterials; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; germ cells; additivity; cocktail

Domaines: Ecotoxicologie

Martina Cotena, Melanie Auffan, Virginie Tassistro, Noémie Resseguier, Jérôme Rose, et al.. In Vitro Co Exposure to CeO2 Nanomaterials from Diesel Engine Exhaust and Benzo(a)Pyrene Induces Additive DNA Damage in Sperm and Cumulus Cells but not in Oocytes. Nanomaterials, 2021, 11 (2), pp.478. ⟨10.3390/nano11020478⟩. ⟨hal-03150060⟩