Effect Of Bottled Drinking Water On Cell Viability Of Human Urothelium

Abstract

Diet is often linked to the irritable bladder as drinking of alcohol and coffee often aggravate the symptoms of Painful Bladder Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis (PBS/IC) patients. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of different types of bottled water available in the market on the urothelium. Methods: UROtsa cell line was used as in vitro models to assess the cytotoxicity from different brands of bottled waters, distilled, spring, mineral and ultra purified (Otsu water). The pH of water was measured and trypan blue dye exclusion test was used to measure cell viability. Results: Overnight exposure to distilled water and most bottled water with reduced volume of growth media is harmful to cells. In contrast, exposure of ultra pure water under similar conditions caused minimal adverse effects. Conclusion: The quality and source of water consumption may be important in PBS/IC. Ultra purified water should be considered as an adjuvant therapy for patients with irritable bladder symptoms.