[Effects of pentachlorophenol on DNA damage and cytotoxicity of HeLa cells]

Using human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells, the cell viability was determined by MTT assay after pentachlorophenol (PCP) treatment, the cytotoxicity of PCP was evaluated by detecting lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage rate and total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in cell culture medium; DNA damage was detected by comet assay. The results indicated that HeLa cells proliferation was inhibited by PCP and the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 66.59 micromol x L(-1); PCP did not induce DNA damage in the concentration range from 6.25 micromol x L(-1) to 50 micromol L(-1); LDH leakage rate increased gradually with the increasing of exposure time when HeLa cells were treated by PCP in the concentration range from 12.5 micromol x L(-1) to 200 micromol x L(-1); SOD activity decreased gradually as the increasing of exposure time when HeLa cells were treated by PCP at lower concentration of 12.25 micromol x L(-1), 17.5 micromol x L(-1), 25 micromol x L(-1) respectively, LDH leakage rate increased significantly at 25 micromol x L(-1) and activity of SOD decreased markedly at 12.25 micromol x L(-1) in HeLa cells following PCP-treatment respectively. Results suggested that SOD and LDH might be regarded as candidate sensitive biomarkers for evaluating toxicity of PCP at low concentration on human and wildlife.