Organotellurium compound toxicity in a promyelocytic cell line compared to non-tellurium-containing organic analog.

Two substituted aryl organotellurium compounds and a tellurium-free analog of one of these were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity using human promyelocytic (HL-60) cells as an experimental system. Both tellurium-containing toxicants (2,2(')-dimethoxydiphenyl ditelluride and 2,2(')-diamino-3,3('),5,5(')-tetramethyldiphenyl ditelluride) were cytotoxic at concentrations as low as 5 x 10(-6) M and the dimethoxydiphenyl compound produced significant numbers of apoptotic cells at a concentration of only 1 x 10(-6) M after 8 h. Data indicate that 2,2(')-dimethoxydiphenyl ditelluride and 2,2(')-diamino-3,3('),5,5(')-tetramethyldiphenyl ditelluride induce apoptosis in both a time and dose dependent manner; however, 2,2(')-dimethoxybiphenyl, structurally comparable to the first of these but without the tellurium bridge, did not produce apoptosis under the concentrations and time course studied.

Cytometric determination of novel organotellurium compound toxicity in a promyelocytic (HL-60) cell line.

The increasing use of tellurium compounds in organic synthesis, industrial applications, and as a possible component in pesticides means that its introduction into the environment will increase in the future. Therefore, knowledge of the relative toxicity and mode of toxic action of tellurium-containing compounds is important. The studies detailed here used three model compounds: diphenyl ditelluride, 3,3'-diaminodiphenyl ditelluride, and 4,4'-diisopropyldiphenyl ditelluride.