Effect of Mutagens on the Viability and Some Enzymes of a Serum-free Cultured Human Histiocytic Lymphoma Cell Line, U-937

The effect was studied of such mutagens as 3-amino-1-dimethyl-5H-pyridol[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), 2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-acrylamide (AF-2), 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (HMF) and pyrrole on the viability and activity of some enzymes of a human histiocytic lymphoma cell line, U-937, cultured in a serum-free medium. Incubation of U-937 with the mutagens for 12 hr at 37°C in the serum-free medium reduced the viability of the U-937 cells. Especially, Trp-P-2 and MNNG reduced it markedly. Trp-P-2, MNNG, AF-2 and HMF were also found to decrease the formation of formazan in the U-937 cells. All the mutagens slightly increased the activity of a drug-metabolizing enzyme, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, in the cells. They also caused a variation of such enzyme activities in the cells as glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), catalase and alkaline phosphatase. Leakage of the activities of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and GOT from the U-937 cells into the culture med...