title: Determining the cytotoxicity of catanionic surfactant mixtures on HeLa cells.
abstract: The cytotoxicity of commonly used synthetic surfactants and catanionic mixtures of those was evaluated using MTT on HeLa cells. The 50% inhibition concentration (IC(50)) for MTT reduction was calculated. The effect on chain length increase and inclusion of polyoxyethylene groups on the toxicity was tested on single surfactant systems. A general trend of increasing toxicity with increasing chain length and the presence of polyoxyethylene groups was observed. The measured IC(50) values of catanionic systems lie between those of participating surfactants. The increase in toxicity as the cationic surfactant is added to the anionic one is however not linear. A steep decrease of the IC(50) values (and therefore increase in the toxic properties) is observed immediately already at low concentrations of the cationic surfactants. This behavior is analogous to the enzyme activity in catanionic microemulsions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. vlachy.nina@bcg.com
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vlachy
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Touraud
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heilmann
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kunz
mesh_terms: D000838:Anions; D002412:Cations; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D013500:Surface Tension; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts / Q000494:pharmacology; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D002412:Cations; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D020959:Polyethylene; C022616:thiazolyl blue