title: Involvement of reactive oxygen species in the cytotoxic effect of acid-electrolyzed water.
abstract: Acid-electrolyzed water (AEW) is commonly used as a disinfectant in the agricultural and medical fields. Although several studies have been conducted to examine its toxicity in vitro and in vivo, the cytotoxic mechanism of AEW has never been verified. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the underlying mechanism by which AEW exerts its in vitro cytotoxic effect. Mouse fibroblasts treated with AEW experienced dilution rate-dependent cytotoxic effects in the 100% confluent phase as well as in the mitotic phase. The levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased significantly in fully-confluent cells treated with undiluted and four times diluted AEW. In both of these treatments, cytotoxicity was also observed. It is thus concluded that the in vitro cytotoxicity of AEW is attributable to increased intracellular ROS. Additionally, the ROS responsible for these effects appears to be, at least in part, hydroxyl radical because the increase in intracellular ROS was attenuated by post-treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide, a hydroxyl radical scavenger, and with the antioxidant polyphenol, proanthocyanidin.
authors.affiliation: Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mokudai
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niwano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C118085:superoxidized water; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide