Cell via Cell Viability Assay Changes Cellular Metabolic Characteristics by Intervening with Glycolysis and Pentose Phosphate Pathway

Chemical Research in Toxicology 2024
Jingzhi Fan, Theresa Schiemer, Annija Vaska, Vahid Jahedzomorrodi, Kristaps Kļaviņš

The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) cell viability assay, also known as WST-8, is widely recognized for its nontoxic nature, making it suitable for further studies on treated cells. This practice is commonly observed in the field of tissue engineering. While live/dead imaging may not readily reveal macroscopic differences, our investigation has uncovered significant intracellular metabolic changes. Notably, we observed substantial down-regulation of metabolites within the glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways. These metabolic alterations predominantly affect energy metabolism and may potentially impact the cellular redox environment. In light of these findings, we strongly recommend that researchers exercise caution when using cells treated with CCK-8 in subsequent experiments.

DOI
10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00339
Hyperlink
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00339

Fan, J., Schiemer, T., Vaska, A., Jahedzomorrodi, V., Kļaviņš, K. Cell via Cell Viability Assay Changes Cellular Metabolic Characteristics by Intervening with Glycolysis and Pentose Phosphate Pathway. Chemical Research in Toxicology, 2024, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 208-211. ISSN 0893-228X. e-ISSN 1520-5010. Available from: doi:10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00339

Publication language
English (en)