Effect of formaldehyde and resveratrol on the viability of Vero, HepG2 and MCF-7 cells

A non-transformed (Vero) and two tumor cell lines (HepG2 and MCF-7) were treated with 10 nM to 100 μM formaldehyde. Lower doses (10 nM to 10 μM) enhanced the viability of the cultured cells, measured by MTT assay. Higher doses (75–100 μM) decreased viability of the cells by 50% or more. The 100 μM concentration of HCHO has been chosen for combination treatment of the three cell lines with a series of concentrations (0.2–100 μM) of resveratrol, a phytoestrogen occurring in various fruits. Resveratrol decreased the cytotoxicity of formaldehyde depending on cell line and point of time, especially in case of MCF-7 cells at 24 and 72 h, Vero cells at 24 h and HepG2 cells at 48 h after treatment. Possible modes of interactions are discussed, considering the role of resveratrol in formaldehyde metabolism and also the estrogen receptor positivity of MCF-7 cells.