Interactions of surfactants with living cells. Induction of apoptosis by detergents containing a beta-lactam moiety

The toxicity of new surfactants containing a beta -lactam ring has been est ablished by studying their interaction with a hybridoma cell line. An hour of contact is sufficient to generate an apoptotic signal after two days of culture. Under the experimental conditions chosen for the experiments, surf actants have been divided into three categories: i) biocompatible and non-a pogenic; ii) surfactants triggering an apoptotic signal without inducing ce ll necrosis; iii) surfactants triggering an apoptotic signal at low concent rations and destroying the cells by necrosis at higher concentrations. The necrosis inducing surfactants also had haemolytic properties. These propert ies were related to the values of the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of the molecules.