The toxicity of acrolein was compared with that of reactive oxygen species using a Mouse mammary carcinoma FM3A cell culture system. Complete inhibition of cell growth was accomplished with 10 mu M acrolein, 100 mu M H2O2, and 20 mu M 1-120 Plus 1 mM vitamin C, which produce center dot OH, suggesting that toxicity of acrolein is more severe than H2O2 and nearly equal to that of center dot OH, when these compounds were added extracellularly. Acrolein toxicity was prevented by N-acetyl-L-cysteine and N-benzylhydroxylamine, and attenuated by putrescine and sperimidine. Toxicity of H2O2 was prevented by glutathione peroxidase Plus N-acetyl-L-cysteine, pyruvate, catalase, and reduced by polyphenol, and toxicity of center dot OH was prevented by glutathione peroxidase plus N-acetyl-L-cysteine, pyruvate, catalase and reduced by N-acetyl-L-Cysteine. The results indicate that prevention of cell toxicity by N-acetyl-L-cysteine was more effective with acrolein than with center dot OH. Protein and DNA synthesis was damaged primarily by acrolein and reactive oxygen species, respectively. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.