The Efficacy of Phenol-Glucose-Glycerin Mixtures as a Prolotherapy Proliferative Substance on Fibroblast Tissue Culture

• Published in: The journal of pain Vol. 25; no. 4; p. 22
• Main Authors: Sells, Peter, Vayster, Allen, Hinkelman, Amy, Motyka, Thomas, Foster, Adam, Harding, Bethany, Fox, Sarah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.04.2024
• ISSN: 1526-5900; 1528-8447
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.01.106

The number of Americans living with osteoarthritis today is estimated to be around 63 million. As the U.S. population ages, that number is projected to be as high as 78 million by 2040. Prolotherapy has served as a potential therapeutic that is both an alternative to joint replacement and more financially feasible compared to bio-injectables. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of its molecular mechanisms and safety. While dextrose has become an increasingly popular prolotherapy substance, a cocktail composed of Phenol-glucose-glycerin (P2G) has also been historically used. Our mission was to identify the efficacy and safety of P2G using fibroblast cell culture. Fibroblast cell cultures were exposed to different concentrations of P2G for variable amounts of time. The mitochondrial activity for each treatment group was measured using an XTT assay as a marker for cell viability. Our preliminary data reveals two crucial insights. First, the toxic dose of glucose, glycerol and phenol was 6.25%, 6.25% and 0.625% respectively at all time points (15 minutes to 2 hours). The cell XTT viability showed a substantial reduction in mitochondrial activity in fibroblasts at this concentration. Secondly, P2G treatment did not stimulate a statistically significant greater cell proliferation compared to the control group. This implies that inducing damage to fibroblasts using P2G will not likely create a significant inflammatory response conducive to enhanced tissue regeneration. More data on whether P2G induces the production of cytokines or increases collagen production is needed to determine if there is any benefit to future patients.