Cytoprotective effect of tocopherols in hepatocytes cultured with polyunsaturated fatty acids.

When highly unsaturated fatty acids are added to cell cultures, it can become important to include antioxidants in the culture medium to prevent cytotoxic peroxidation. To find an optimal antioxidant for this purpose, the effect of 50 μM α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, α-tocopheryl acetate, α-tocopheryl acid succinate, or α-tocopheryl phosphate, or of 1 μMN,N′-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine, was investigated with respect to the agent's ability to prevent lactate dehydrogenase leakage in long-term rat hepatocyte cultures supplemented with 0.5 mM highly unsaturated fatty acids. Formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the cultures was also measured. α-Tocopheryl acid succinate was found to be the most effective cytoprotective compound, followed byN,N′-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol and α-tocopheryl acetate, and α-tocopheryl phosphate was without effect.