[The effect of carnosine on the intracellular pH in cultured human embryonic lung fibroblasts].

Dipeptide carnosine effect on fibroblast proliferation was assessed by changes in intracellular pH (pHi) in human cultivated lung embryonal fibroblasts. pHi was defined by means of fluorescein diacetate (FDA) during 1-7 days of the culture growth. The investigation showed changes in pHi depending on dipeptide concentration and the presence of additives in it. In some cases rat carnosine caused acidification of cells assumed to be a reaction and the presence of additives of metals in the drug. Sometimes an increase in pHi was observed immediately or shortly after acidification of the cells. In this case dipeptide was assumed to have a stimulating influence on fibroblast pHi due to a low concentration of additives in the drug and fast adaptation of cells. Purified carnosine increased pHi immediately after its addition to the incubation medium. The maximum effect was observed after addition of 10 mkg/ml carnosine, delta of pHi was on the average of 0.22. An increase of carnosine concentration to 50-100 micrograms/ml did not lead to increased effect. So, the increase of fibroblast pHi upon introduction of carnosine may be one of the causes of activation of fibroblast proliferation. The pH-metry method may be recommended as an express-test for the evaluation of the degree of a drug purification.