Cytotoxic and non-genotoxic effects of arecoline on human buccal fibroblasts in vitro

Betel quid chewing has been linked to oral submucous fibrosis and oral cancer. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assays were used to investigate the pathobiological effects of arecoline on cultured human buccal fibroblasts. Arecoline increased double-stranded polynucleic acid at the concentration of 0.1 to 10 μg/ml in a concentration-dependent manner. At a concentration higher than 50 μg/ml, arecoline was cytotoxic to cultured fibroblasts and the cytotoxicity was dose-dependent. No genotoxicity for arecoline was found even at a concentration of 400 μg/ml. On the other hand, 600 μg/ml glutathione (GSH) and 200 μg/ml glycyrrhizin could prevent the arecoline-induced cytotoxicity. These results indicate that arecoline is a cytotoxic agent and no genotoxicity was found to human buccal fibroblasts. Furthermore, increasing consumption of GSH- and glycyrrhizin-rich foods may reduce the oral diseases associated with betel quid chewing.