Protective Effect of Mildronate against Toxic Influence of Mercury(II) Chloride on Cultured Neuroblastoma Cells

We examined toxic action of 10.9 μM mercury(II) chloride on cultured IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells and possible protective effects of a cardioprotector, mildronate (tested concentrations 0.01 to 10.0 mg/ml of culture medium) under such experimental conditions. Isolated addition of mildronate to the medium did not induce considerable negative effects (number of dead cells did not exceed 8-10% of their total number at all concentrations used). In the case of isolated action of HgCl₂, about half of cultured IMR- 32 cells died (on average, 55.8 ± 1.6% of the cells remained viable). Mildronate in a 0.01 mg/ml concentration did not manifest a significant protective action, but at doses 1.0 and 10.0 mg/ml the mean number of living cells in the presence of HgCl₂ reached nearly 80%. Thus, mildronate demonstrated relative safety in vitro and a significant protective effect under conditions of intoxication by low doses of mercury.