The polymerized bovine hemoglobin-based oxygen-carrying solution (HBOC-201) is not toxic to neural cells in culture.
BACKGROUND
Recent data suggest that a neurotoxic effect of blood or its components may contribute to secondary neural cell dysfunction. This study investigated the effects of HBOC-201 (Hemopure) and purified human hemoglobin (hHgb) on rat fetal neural cell culture.


METHODS
Neural cell cultures were exposed to HBOC-201 and hHgb (0.02, 0.2, 2.0, and 6.5 g/dL) for 24 hours, and then analyzed for proliferation, metabolism, and neurolysis.


RESULTS
Cultures exposed to HBOC-201 maintained levels of proliferation and metabolism similar to controls while demonstrating no cellular lysis. However, cultures exposed to hHgb demonstrated decreased proliferation after exposure to 0.2, 2.0, and 6.5 g/dL hHgb (14,252.14, 3,221.89, and 343.12 vs. 19,509.53; p< 0.05) when compared with controls. In addition, cultures exposed to hHgb demonstrated decreased metabolic activity and increased cell lysis when compared with controls (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Cultures exposed to HBOC-201 displayed sustained metabolic activity and proliferation, and demonstrated no neurolysis, suggesting that HBOC-201 does not display the toxic characteristics of hHgb.
Ortegon
Delio P
DP
Department of General Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, USA.
Davis
Michael R
MR
Dixon
Patricia S
PS
Smith
David L
DL
Josephs
John D
JD
Mueller
Deborah L
DL
Jenkins
Donald H
DH
Kerby
Jeffrey D
JD
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001802:Blood Substitutes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011336:Probability; D051381:Rats; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D001802:Blood Substitutes; D006454:Hemoglobins; C096798:HBOC 201