title: Individual and combined cytotoxic effects of cadmium, copper, and nickel on brown cells of Mercenaria mercenaria.
abstract: An assay based on the lysosomal incorporation of neutral red dye by brown cells of Mercenaria mercenaria (Bivalvia) was used to measure the cytotoxicity of Cd2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+ singly and in combination. Cytotoxicity was a linear function of Cd2+ concentration 0.1-1.5 mM and Cu2+ concentration between 10 and 100 microM. Nickel was not cytotoxic at concentrations as high as 10 mM. The presence of Cu2+ lessened the cytotoxic effect of Cd2+. Ni2+ did not affect cytotoxicity in combination with either Cu2+ or Cd2+.Ni2+ inflated estimates of cell survival by the neutral red assay in this study. Cells exposed to Ni2+ yielded measured quantities of neutral red dye in excess of those measured in cells from control treatments.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D008974:Mollusca / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D009499:Neutral Red; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D002104:Cadmium; D009499:Neutral Red; D003300:Copper; D009532:Nickel