Trehalose protects cells from injury caused by acids or cigarette smoke constituents (Studies on cytoprotective properties of trehalose)

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the effects of trehalose on the morphology and the measurement of viability of cells treated with acids, cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and phenol (a CSE constituent) using in vitro cultured human cells. While cells treated with 0.2% (w/v) ascorbic acid were damaged, cells treated with 0.5% (w/v) trehalose, preserved their shapes even in the presence of an identical concentration of ascorbic acid. In addition, the mean values of cell viability after treatment with 0.2% (w/v) citric acid, one-fourth diluted CSE, and 0.2% (w/v) phenol, were 8%, 37% and 50%, respectively. Under the same conditions, when 1%, 2.5% and 2.5% of trehalose were added to the cell culture, the mean values of cell viability increased to 54%, 55% and 81%, respectively. These results suggest that trehalose protects cells from damage induced by stimulants in the oral cavity, indicating that trehalose is suitable for the formulations of products such as throat candies.