Effects of high glucose concentration on survival and respiration of human endothelial cells.
To determine whether or not endothelial cell survival was decreased after incubation with high glucose concentrations in culture media, we studied the influence of D-glucose or L-glucose (a non-metabolizable stereoisomer of D-glucose) on cell survival using the trypan-blue exclusion test. Simultaneously, the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay was used to measure both the mitochondrial respiratory chain activity and cell viability. Respiratory chain activity per cell increased when D-glucose concentrations rose but at the same time trypan-blue excluded cells were decreased. Comparison with data in the literature showed that the MTT assay was not reliable for studies involving endothelial cell survival when glucose reduction was affected on these cells. It seems important to check MTT assay reliability carefully when it is used for drugs affecting glucose metabolism, or with other cell types.
Foultier
M T
MT
Laboratoire de Physiologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, Nantes, France.
Vonarx-Coinsmann
V
V
Patrice
T
T
Cloarec
D
D
Xu
X N
XN
Combre
A
A
D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003124:Colorimetry; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000187:drug effects*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D014343:Trypan Blue
D004396:Coloring Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C022616:thiazolyl blue; D014343:Trypan Blue; D005947:Glucose