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Identification of hydrogen peroxide as a photoproduct toxic to human cells in tissue-culture medium irradiated with “daylight” fluorescent light

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Summary

Hydrogen peroxide, lethal for human cells, is produced in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's tissue culture medium when exposed to “daylight” fluorescent light. Addition of pure H2O2 and use of the enzyme catalase demonstrate that about 40% of the toxicity in irradiated medium is due to generated peroxide. Riboflavin and tryptophan, or riboflavin and tyrosine, are the components necessary for formation of lethal levels of H2O2 during light exposure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. John M. Dalton Research Center and Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 65211, Columbia, Missouri

    Richard J. Wang & B. Tracy Nixon

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  1. Richard J. Wang
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  2. B. Tracy Nixon
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Supported by an American Cancer Society Research Grant and a Public Health Service Research Career Development Award to Richard J. Wang.

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Wang, R.J., Nixon, B.T. Identification of hydrogen peroxide as a photoproduct toxic to human cells in tissue-culture medium irradiated with “daylight” fluorescent light. In Vitro 14, 715–722 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02616168

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