Cytotoxicity of butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole in cultured heart cells.

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) at concentrations of 100 ppm (0.45 and 0.55 mM, respectively) produced a marked leakage of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) from cultured myocardial and endotheloid cells into the culture medium. At this concentration both BHT and BHA markedly depressed the beating rate of cultured heart cells with maximum inhibition occurring within 1 h after antioxidant exposure. Morphologically the appearance of cells in the presence of 100 ppm BHT and BHA was similar to the appearance of control cells. However, when BHT and BHA concentrations were increased to 1000 ppm (4.5 and 5.5 mM, respectively), marked cell lysis was seen after a 1 h exposure period. The results of this study suggest that both BHT and BHA, in relatively large concentrations, produce injury to myocardial cells in culture.