Abstract

The effects of glucose on the productions of ATP and nitrite which are inhibited by mercury compounds, were examined in a cell culture system of RAW 264.7 cells. The cells were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) with cytokines, IL-1 and TNF for 24 hours. The viablility of RAW 264.7 cells at the end of culture was significantly decreased by mercury chloride or methylmercury chloride added into the media in dose-dependent manner, however the viability of RAW 264.7 cells were influenced in the concentrations lese than 0.8micrometer of mercury chloride or 0.4micrometer of methylmercury chloride. The addition of 4.5 g/l glucose to normal DMEM lowered the pH of media to the range of 6.7-6.8 after 48 hours of culture, but not for the cell survivals. This supplement of glucose to the media also prevented the inhibitions of ATP and nitrite syntheses which were caused by mercurial compounds. These results suggest that the disorder of cell mediated immunity by mercurials could be related to the inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis which seams to be caused by the inhibition of ATP synthesis, especially related to the citric acid cycle.

• Keywords: Nitrite;Nitric Oxide;EMT-6 Cell;Mercury Chloride;Methylmercury chloride;glucose