Cytotoxicity study on SH‑SY5Y cells cultured at high glucose levels and treated with bupivacaine.

The aim of this study was to investigate susceptibility to the neurotoxicity of local anesthetic agents in a model of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). SH-SY5Y cells were cultured at different concentrations of glucose and subsequently treated with 1 mmol/l bupivacaine for 6 h. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis were assessed using flow cytometry in each group of cells. The MTT method was utilized to detect cell survival, and western blot analysis was used to examine changes in 78 kDa glucose‑regulated protein (GRP78) levels in neuronal cells. In all groups, levels of ROS production, cell survival and GRP78 expression were significantly different (P<0.01) following the addition of various concentrations of glucose and bupivacaine, as well as for the interaction between different concentrations of the anesthetic agents, demonstrating a statistically significant difference. In conclusion, the susceptibility of SH-SY5Y cells to the neurotoxicity of local anesthetic agents was enhanced in a model of GDM.