TITLE:
Is the Photosuturing Agent, Rose Bengal, a Mutagen?
AUTHORS:
Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, Shuguang Wang, Jeffrey Wickliffe, Michael Wilkerson
KEYWORDS:
Rose Bengal; Photochemical Tissue Bonding; Mutagenicity; Cytotoxicity; Wound Healing; Dermatological Surgery
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications,
Vol.4 No.1,
January
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: Rose Bengal (RB) is a potential photosuturing
agent that may improve standard dermatologic surgical closure techniques.
However, RB produces reactive oxygen species with photoactivation and its
photomutagenic potential must be considered in clinical application. We
investigated cytotoxicity, mutagenicity, and singlet oxygen (SO) production of
RB on epithelial Chinese hamster ovary cell line. Cells were exposed to RB
concentrations: 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001%, 0.0001%, 0.00001%; irradiated for 400 s
using a high-intensity visible wavelength lamp or maintained in the dark. Cell
viability was assessed by XTT assay, mutagenicity by HPRT gene mutation assay,
and SO production by Sensor Green reagent. RB > 0.001% was significantly
cytotoxic. Viabilities were uninfluenced by ≤0.0001% RB controls, or 30-min
incubation. 49% of irradiated cells died after 24-h in 0.0001% RB. At ≥0.001% RB,
>90% of cells died. Irradiating 0.00001% - 0.001% RB increased SO; levels
dropped significantly between 0.01% - 0.1%. Controls exhibited negligible SO
production. HPRT suggested that RB was not mutagenic (0.0001%, 0.00001%); SO
induction increased between 0.00001% - 0.001%, with reduced production at
higher concentrations. Pilot studies suggested irradiated 0.0001% RB is
mutagenic in vitro; current
data suggest RB is not photomutagenic. The contribution of RB’s cytotoxicity on
observed clinical improvement of scars and mutagenic potential remains unclear,
necessitating further study.