Acrylamide is one substance that decreases cell viability.
Cell viability, a measure of the number of live, healthy cells in a sample, can be decreased by a wide range of factors. These factors can be broadly categorized as:
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Chemicals and Toxins:
- Acrylamide: This chemical, found in some cooked foods and industrial processes, has been shown to decrease cell viability and cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cell lines like the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2.
- Other toxins: Many other toxins, heavy metals, and pollutants can disrupt cellular processes and lead to cell death.
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Radiation:
- Exposure to ionizing radiation (e.g., X-rays, gamma rays) can damage DNA and other cellular components, leading to reduced cell viability.
- UV radiation can also induce DNA damage and apoptosis.
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Nutrient Deprivation:
- Cells require essential nutrients like glucose, amino acids, and vitamins to survive and function properly. Lack of these nutrients can lead to starvation and decreased viability.
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Physical Stress:
- Changes in temperature (extreme heat or cold), mechanical stress (e.g., shear stress), and osmotic stress (changes in salt concentration) can all damage cells and reduce their viability.
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Infections:
- Viral, bacterial, or fungal infections can directly kill cells or trigger an immune response that leads to cell death.
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Hypoxia:
- Lack of oxygen can disrupt cellular metabolism and lead to cell death.
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pH Imbalance:
- Extreme pH levels (either too acidic or too alkaline) can disrupt cellular processes and damage cellular structures, decreasing cell viability.
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Oxidative Stress:
- An imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the ability of the cell to detoxify them can lead to oxidative damage and cell death. This is often linked to inflammation.
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Apoptosis-Inducing Agents:
- Some chemicals and biological factors can trigger apoptosis, the programmed cell death pathway, leading to a decrease in cell viability.
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Genotoxic agents:
- Substances that can damage DNA leading to genomic instability and cell death.
The specific mechanisms by which these factors decrease cell viability vary, but they often involve disruption of cellular metabolism, damage to DNA or other cellular components, and triggering of apoptosis or necrosis (uncontrolled cell death).
