cytotoxic or what? - (Nov/16/2006 )

Hi to everybody,
I'm testing a drug on cells and it works in terms of reducing cell proliferation (MTT test) only at very high concentrations such as 10-4 M. I don't know if the effect is direct against the mechanism of proliferation or it's just a citotoxic effect. Has somebody any suggestion to how test for distinguish between this two different effects?

Thanks

-eyes-

QUOTE (eyes @ Nov 16 2006, 10:23 AM)

there are nice kits e.g. by Roche for cell proliferation or cytotoxicity or apoptosis; one should try all to see what is really going on; by the way, an effect only at 0.1 mM for a drug is beyond heaven and hell; I would think of if it will be useful to test such therapeutically inapplicable effects;

-The Bearer-

Before suggesting assays I would say why you testing your compound when it is showing some activity at such a high concentration. People talk about nM and uM concentartion.

-exploresci-

Hi exploresci, thanks for your replay.
Basically I tested my compound in a range from 10-9 to 10-4 M and what I'm measuring are both cell viability and hormonal secretion. I've performed only the experiments regarding cell viability so far and what I saw is the respons I described in the previous post. I'm organizing the experiments for testing hormonal secretion, that I'm sure will be more convincing. What I'm trying to understand is if I can say that my drug do not have any effect on cell viability and just that at 10-M is toxic for the cells, or that the effect on cell viability is present only at such concentration.

-eyes-

Hi Eyes,

I think in this case any tetrazolium salt assay is fine.

-exploresci-