Cytotoxic effects of culture supernatants of oral bacteria and various organic acids on Vero cells.

Dilute culture filtrates of the three asaccharolytic black-pigmented Bacteroides species as well as B. macacae, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and animal strains resembling B. gingivalis were cytotoxic for the African green monkey kidney cell line (Vero cells). Butyric or propionic acid, major metabolic products of these bacteria, seem to be responsible for the characteristic morphological changes observed. Among the organic acids studied, only butyric, propionic, and valeric acids exhibited cytotoxic effects. Finally, cumulative effects (as opposed to synergistic) were observed when mixtures of two organic acids were tested.