Pro-oxidative toxicity of cells in suspension does not point to a cell cultural artefact as an explanation of the increased susceptibility of alveolar epithelial-like cells after glucocorticoid pretreatment

Decreasing cellular glutathione and the activity of some antioxidative enzymes by glucocorticoid pretreatment had no effect on toxicity of zinc or tBHP in L2 cells in suspensions, while toxicity in monolayers was increased. Glucocorticoid pretreatment seems to increase toxicity of HP in A549 monolayers according to the lowered protein content, while toxicity might be changed by a different way when cells are incubated as cell suspensions. No explanation as a cell culture artificial effect was observed, therefore we assume the increased toxicity after glucocorticoid pretreatment occurs in vivo as well.