The melanocytotoxic action of 4-hydroxyanisole.

Cultured normal mammalian melanocytes exposed to a variety of antioxidants in the presence of millimolar concentrations of 4-hydroxyanisole exhibit dose-dependent modifications of cytotoxicity. While some antioxidants reduced the extent of damage produced by 4-hydroxyanisole, others appeared to increase it. Similar effects were found in a model system using lysis of human erythrocytes as an index of cell damage. Estimations on rat liver microsomes in the presence of tyrosinase and 4-hydroxyanisole showed increased peroxidation only at low substrate concentrations.