Effect of Allopurinol on Methylmercuric Chloride-Induced Cytotoxicity in $C_6$ Cultured Glioma Cells

It is demonstrated that inorganic mercury has cytotoxic effect on glial cells. Recently, oxygen radicals is involved in methylmercuric chloride (MMC)-induced cytotoxicity. But, the toxic mechanism of MMC is left unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the cytotoxicity of MMC on $C_6$ glioma cells. The cytotoxicy was measured by cell viability using XTT assay in $C_6$ glioma cells. Colorimetric assay is regarded as a very sensitive screening method for the determination of the cell viability on various agents. In this study, MMC decreased cell viability according to the dose- and time dependent manners after $C_6$ glioma cells were grown with various concentrations of MMC for 48 hours. In the protective effect of allopurinol on MMC-induced cytotoxicity, allopurinol was effective in the prevention of MMC-induced cytotoxicity in these cultures. These results suggest that MMC has highly cytotoxic effect on $C_6$ glioma cells by the decrease of cell viavility, and free radical scavenger such as allopurinol was effective on organic mercury-induced cytotoxicity in these cultures.