Effect of high glucose on cellular proliferation and lipid peroxidation in cultured Vero cells

Nephropathy is common among the diabetic population. However, the molecular mechanisms by which hyperglycemia can cause alteration in kidney structure and function is not known. In this study, we examined the effect of high glucose levels on cellular growth and membrane lipid peroxidation in Vero cells, an African green monkey kidney cell line. Cell growth was assessed by a tetrazolium salt reduction test (MTT); and lipid peroxidation was measured by thiobarbituric acid reactivity. Our results show that elevated levels of glucose (25, 50 and 100 mM) can cause up to 50% reduction in cell growth in cultured Vero cells as compared with controls (8 mM). Also, we observed a significant increase in the amount of oxidative damage in Vero cells cultured with elevated glucose concentrations. This study demonstrates that hyperglycemia can cause increased lipid peroxidation and affect the cellular proliferation in a monkey kidney cell line.