Effect of Lidocaine on Viability and Gene Expression of Human Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An in vitro Study.
Hai Nie, Eva Kubrova, Tao Wu and 6 others
PMID 30784215WHAT IT FOUND
In lab cells, lidocaine at 2, 4 or 8 mg/ml for 1, 2 or 4 hours reduced viable stem cells; 1 mg/ml did not.
Cells often recovered after shorter or lower exposure, but 4 hours at 4 or 8 mg/ml did not.
Key findings
01Exposure to 2 mg/ml, 4 mg/ml or 8 mg/ml lidocaine for 1, 2 or 4 hours significantly reduced viable cells, while 1 mg/ml did not. Cells generally recovered by 24 and 48 hours after 1 or 2 hours, except after 4 hours at 4 mg/ml or 8 mg/ml.
02MTS assays showed a time- and dose-dependent decline in mitochondrial activity and proliferation. Mitochondrial activity was similar after 0.5 hours, and 1 mg/ml did not differ significantly at different treatment times.
03Gene expression changed with concentration and time: 8 mg/ml lidocaine raised proliferation markers and transcription factors at 24 and 48 hours compared with 4 mg/ml or media, while surface markers decreased at 0 hours after 4 or 8 mg/ml but not at 24 hours.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
This is an in vitro study of cells, not a clinical trial in patients, so it does not show what happens to people after lidocaine or stem cell treatment. The cells came from only three donors, described as young or middle-aged, with one female and two males. Cell culture is a closed system, so lidocaine cannot dissipate as it may after injection into joint tissues or fluids. Gene expression was measured after a single 2-hour lidocaine incubation, so time-dependent effects on mRNA may have been missed. The tested concentrations and exposure times may not match the actual concentrations and exposure times in patients.
Declared interests
No competing interest statement is included in the supplied text. The article is listed as supported by NIH extramural research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that lidocaine injections during stem cell procedures harm patients or should be avoided. This is a lab study of cells from three donors, not a patient trial, and it did not test clinical outcomes. Cells often recovered after lower concentrations or shorter exposure, and the paper notes actual in vivo exposure may be lower.