Arsenic-selenium interactions determined with cultured fish cells.
A fibroblastic cell line derived from gill tissue (designated BG/G) and an epithelioid cell line derived from fin tissue (designed BG/F) of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were used as the bioindicators in toxicity experiments. The neutral red in vitro cytotoxicity assay served as the endpoint. In both cell lines the sequence of observed cytotoxicity was arsenite greater than arsenate greater than selenite greater than selenate, with each cell type exhibiting comparable ranking of midpoint toxicity (NR50) concentrations. Antagonistic interactions were noted between combinations of arsenics and seleniums. Thus, selenate and selenite (at nontoxic levels) reduced, but did not eliminate, the acute cytotoxicities of arsenate and, to a lesser extent, of arsenite.
Babich
H
H
Laboratory Animal Research Center, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021.
Martin-Alguacil
N
N
Borenfreund
E
E
D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004347:Drug Interactions; D010473:Perciformes; D012643:Selenium / Q000494:pharmacology*
D012643:Selenium; D001151:Arsenic