Measurement of released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, a commonly used marker of lethal cell injury in both in vitro and in vivo screenings, has been used to assess the cytotoxicity of nanoparticles ( NPs ), chemical compounds, and environmental factors. We have recently demonstrated that titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles bind to several serum proteins. In the present study we investigated the binding of TiO₂ NPs to LDH.

Purified LDH was incubated with TiO₂ NPs at 37°C for 1 h. The particles were then sedimented by centrifugation, and the activity and quantity of LDH in the supernatant and precipitated fraction were analyzed.

Incubation with TiO₂ reduced the LDH activity in the supernatant in a dose-dependent manner, while LDH activity in the precipitated fraction increased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed a TiO₂ dose-dependent reduction in the quantity of LDH protein in the supernatant and an increase of LDH in particulate re-suspensions.

These findings, although based on a purified form of LDH, suggest that TiO₂ NPs bind to LDH, and consequently, TiO₂ NP-induced toxicity could be underestimated by the LDH activity assay.