Effects of nimesulide and its metabolites or manufacturing intermediates on the viability and growth of the human hepatoma HepG2 cell line

Hepatitis and fulminant hepatic failure have, infrequently, been associated with nimesulide. To establish if nimesulide or its analogues have direct c ytotoxic activity on liver cells, experiments were undertaken to investigat e the effects of nimesulide and its principal metabolites and production in termediates on the viability and growth of the human hepatoma cell line, He pG2, in vitro. The parent drug, metabolites or production intermediates as well as formulations of nimesulide were incubated for 6-48 hr with HepG2 ce lls and the extent of toxicity determined using the mitochondrial selective redox dye 3-4,5-dimethylthazol-2-yl)-2,4-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT ). The results showed that there was no appreciable cytotoxic activity exhi bited by nimesulide and its principle metabolites or production intermediat es on HepG2 cells. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.