Citrinin, a relatively weak mycotoxin, can be detoxified by heating; however, a compound having high toxicity was formed on heating at 140 "C in the presence of water. The toxic compound was isolated from heated citrinin and its structure was determined. Its toxicity, evaluated by cytotoxicity assay, was

The toxicity of dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) was examined in HeLa cells cultured at 37 degrees C for up to 72 hr. The growth of the cells was measured by a colorimetric method with the use of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), which gave good correlation between the cell number and the color development from the reduction of MTT under suitable conditions. When the initial number of cells was 3 x 10(4)/ml, Me2SO at 1% or less had no apparent effect on proliferation for up to 48 hr of incubation, but in longer incubations, cell growth was repressed. When the initial number of cells was 3 x 10(5)/ml, the effect of Me2SO was similar.

No abstract

The toxicity of dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) was examined in HeLa cells cultured at 37 degrees C for up to 72 hr. The growth of the cells was measured by a colorimetric method with the use of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), which gave good correlation between the cell number and the color development from the reduction of MTT under suitable conditions. When the initial number of cells was 3 x 10(4)/ml, Me2SO at 1% or less had no apparent effect on proliferation for up to 48 hr of incubation, but in longer incubations, cell growth was repressed. When the initial number of cells was 3 x 10(5)/ml, the effect of Me2SO was similar.