Benzoyl peroxide interferes with metabolic co-operation between cultured human epidermal keratinocytes

The ability of benzoyl peroxide to inhibit metabolic co-operation in rodent cell cultures may be relevant to its recently reported tumour promoting activity in mouse epidermis. We show here that non-toxic doses of this compound reduce metabolic co-operation between human epidermal keratinocytes to approximately 30% of that found in controls. The doses of benzoyl peroxide used did not affect keratinocyte morphology or their rate of attachment to the culture substratum. These results could be important as benzoyl peroxide is widely used in industry.