PYRUVATE ALLEVIATES TOXIC EFFECTS OF ETHANOL ON CELLS IN CULTURE

Cytotoxic effects of ethanol on cultured human hepatocytes and fibrobl asts differed with the type of culture medium used. When cytotoxic eff ects of ethanol were compared between culture systems using either RPM I-1640 or Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), the cytotoxicity was more prominent with the former medium than with the latter. A redu ction of the cytotoxic effects appeared to be due to the pyruvate cont ained in DMEM. The protective effect of pyruvate against ethanol toxic ity may be related to tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity because addition of malate to the medium also reduced the cytotoxic effects, O ur results suggest that drug cytotoxicity testing in vitro must be don e using various types of culture medium.