THE EFFECTS OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE UPON ESTABLISHED CELL LINES CULTIVATED IN VITRO

Abstract

Studies have been made on the effects of SO₂ and its salts on strain L, mouse liver, and HeLa cells. Of the cell lines tested, the HeLa cells seemed to be more sensitive to SO₂ and its salts than the cells of mouse origin.Cells cultivated in "biological" medium grow in concentrations of gaseous SO₂ up to 2000 p.p.m., although somewhat inhibited. Cells subjected to a concentration of 500 p.p.m. in this medium are not affected greatly and their growth is comparable to those cells in control cultures.The addition of various salts of SO₂ (Na₂SO₄, Na₂SO₃, and NaHSO₃) in concentrations from 10 to 200 mg% produced responses ranging from complete inhibition of growth (by 200 mg% NaHSO₃) to apparent stimulation of growth by some concentrations of Na₂SO₄. Toxicity of these salts was in the order of NaHSO₃ > Na₂SO₃ > Na₂SO₄.When cells in vitro are directly exposed to SO₂ in specially designed culture flasks, strain L cells are apparently able to tolerate 5 p.p.m. SO₂ for five 8-hour exposure intervals, provided a "recovery" period follows each exposure.Certain components of serum seem to play a very important role as protective agents in modifying the effect of gaseous SO₂, possibly by combination.