OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECTS OF METHANOL AND FORMALDEHYDE ON ESTABLISHED CELL LINES CULTIVATED IN VITRO

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Abstract
Short-term experiments were used to investigate the effects of various concentrations of methanol and formaldehyde upon cells grown in vitro. Mouse liver epithelial, HeLa, human lung, and skin cells were exposed to several concentrations of methanol. The same cell lines, except HeLa, were subjected to different concentrations of formaldehyde.Relatively high concentrations of methanol were required to produce rapid toxic effects. Not all cell lines responded alike to methanol. Concentrations of 15 mg/ml were decidedly inhibitory in case of human skin, lung, and HeLa cells. This concentration, however, appeared to enhance growth in liver cells. At higher concentrations the methanol was toxic to liver cells as well as to the others.Concentrations of formaldehyde greater than 0.035 mg/ml were toxic to mouse liver, human lung and skin cells. A concentration of 0.01 mg/ml of formaldehyde inhibited proliferation of these same cells. These three cell lines did not appear to differ significantly in respect to their sensitivity to formaldehyde. Of the substances investigated to date, formaldehyde appears to be the most toxic.

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