title: Chlorhexidine possesses unique cytotoxic actions in rat thymic lymphocytes: Its relation with electrochemical property of membranes.
abstract: Chlorhexidine (CHX) is an antibacterial agent used in various types of pharmaceutical products. Therefore, CHX is easily found around us. Owing to its positive charge, the electrochemical property of cell membranes was assumed to be a key point of cytotoxic action of CHX. Depolarization of membranes attenuated the cytotoxic action of CHX in rat thymic lymphocytes. CHX interfered with annexin V binding to membranes. Manipulations to induce exposure of phosphatidylserine on the outer membrane surface augmented the cytotoxic action of CHX, indicating that changes in the electrochemical property of membranes affected the cytotoxic action of CHX. Hence, CHX might kill cells physiologically undergoing apoptosis, resulting instead in necrotic cell death. However, the threshold CHX concentration in this in vitro study was slightly higher than blood CHX concentrations observed clinically. Therefore, these results may support the safety of CHX use although CHX possesses unique cytotoxic actions described in this study.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Kayo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nonami
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Shohei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishimura-Danjobara
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima 770-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8502, Japan; Faculty of Bioscience and Bioindustry, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8513, Japan. Electronic address: oyamay@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oyama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000633:toxicity*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000633:toxicity*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D003470:Culture Media; D002710:Chlorhexidine
keywords: Chlorhexidine; Cytotoxicity; Hydrogen peroxide; Lymphocytes; Phosphatidylserine