The effect of hypoxia on the cytotoxicity of diesel exhaust particles and a novel oxygenating therapeutic in four cell lines.

Hypoxia is characterized by oxygen levels in tissue below 2% and is implicated in many diseases and adverse health outcomes including chronic lung disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and delayed wound-healing. Many solutions for tackling hypoxia to alleviate such conditions have been proposed but all carry significant limitations. This study attempts to characterize a novel oxygenating therapeutic known as Ox66™. Another major human health concern is diesel exhaust particles (DEP), a prominent component of air pollution. This study evaluates the toxicity of DEP, Ox66™, and a mixture of both during both hypoxia and normoxia and in 24- and 48-hour exposures using four cell lines. The effect of hypoxia on cytotoxicity carries implications for the health risk assessment of air pollution in patients suffering from hypoxia-related diseases. Additionally, the effect of Ox66™ on the hypoxia induced changes in DEP exposures as observed in their mixture may provide clues about its efficacy.