Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
An Automated Method to Perform The In Vitro Micronucleus Assay using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
Published on: May 13, 2019
Cytotoxicity and the levels of oxidative stress parameters in WI38 cells following 2 macrocyclic crown ethers
Massod Mashhadi Akbar Boojar1, Faranak Goodarzi
1Department of Biology, University of Tarbiat Moalem, No: 49, Dr. Mofateh Avenue, Tehran, P.O. Box: 15614, Iran. aboojar@yahoo.com
Background:
Crown ethers as macrocyclic polyethers possess a hydrophilic cavity surrounded by hydrophobic ring which enable them to diffuse cell membrane. We evaluated cytotoxicity effects of 15-crown-5 and 18-crown-6 and the role of oxidative stress in WI38 cells culture.
Methods:
The effect of these ethers in a range of doses (0.1 to 2 mmol/l) on the activity of antioxidant enzymes; superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and on some macromolecules oxidative damages end products; malondialdehyde (MDA) and dityrosine were assessed by spectrometry and HPLC methods.
Results:
Both compounds markedly inhibited the viability of cells with respect to control particularly at doses >0.5 mmol/l after 24- or 48 h incubation. The survivals of cells were measured using MTT assay. They lowered cell's viability and significantly promoted ROS generation, increased enzyme activities and enhanced oxidative damages in which 18-crown-6 was more effective. Treating cells with 30 microm of alpha-tocopherol in addition to 2 mmol/l of crown ethers showed significant decrease on the levels of ROS, enzyme activities, MDA and dityrosine.
Conclusion:
We document the oxidative radicals forming ability of the studied crown ethers and further strengthens the documentation of their cytotoxicity effects through lipid and proteins oxidation damages.
