Abstract
For the first time we show the effects of deuterium oxide on cell growth and vesicle transport in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells. RBL-2H3 cells cultured with 15 moles/L deuterium showed decreased cell growth which was attributed to cells not doubling their DNA content. Experimental observations also showed an increase in vesicle speed for cells cultured in deuterium oxide. This increase in vesicle speed was not observed in deuterium oxide cultures treated with a microtubule-destabilizing drug, suggesting that deuterium oxide affects microtubule-dependent vesicle transport.
Highlights
70% of Earth’s surface and animal bodies are made out of water (H2O)
To confirm that a similar trend is observed in RBL-2H3 cells, cell growth and cell viability was monitored over a period of 5 days
The primary goal of our investigations above was to study the unknown effects of D2O on RBL-2H3 cell growth and vesicle transport
Summary
If any, biological systems or reactions will function without water and one may conclude that the properties of H2O are essential for life on Earth. To study the effect of water (H2O), one must find ways to change the properties of H2O. Deuterium contains one proton and one neutron and bonds to oxygen (O) more strongly than H (one proton and no neutron) in H2O This results in small differences in the length of the covalent H–O-bonds and the angles between them, making D2O roughly 11% denser and 25% more viscous than H2O at 20 ◦C (Hardy & Cottington, 1949). Due to the natural occurrence of D2O and differences in chemical structure and physical properties compared to H2O, researchers have used D2O to study the effects of water on biomolecules and
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