Evaluation of cytotoxic effect of zinc on Raji cell line by a florescent technique

Background: Zinc has important effects on human health, especially on structural and functional activities of the immune system. This study was carried out to examine the in vitro cytotoxic effects of zinc on Raji cell line. Materials and Methods: The cell line was exposed to different concentrations of zinc followed by incubation (37°C, 5% CO2) at various time points (12 to 72 hrs).Viability and proliferation of Raji cells were then evaluated with florescent (10μl Ethidium-Bromide and Acridine-Orange) staining. Data analyzed by SPSS software (Dunnet and Analysis of variance tests). Findings: The Raji cells showed different responses to different amount of Zinc. Zn had no effects on cell line up to 100μM at different incubation time points when compared to the control. At higher concentrations (200-500μM), viability diminished significantly at 12 and 24hrs of incubation times when compared to the control (p<0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that Zn has dose-dependent cytotoxic effects on Raji cell line and probably it could be used for immune-modulation.