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Thallium (Tl), is a highly toxic heavy metal that exists in monovalent (Tl(I)) and trivalent (Tl(III)) ionic states. This study aimed to compare the toxicities of Tl(I) and Tl(III) in a mouse hypothalamic GT1-7 neuronal cell line. Decreased viability and increased cytotoxicity were observed in the GT1-7 cells 16 h after Tl(I) or Tl(III) treatment. Tl(III) was more cytotoxic, than Tl(I), as indicated by extracellular lactate dehydrogenase levels. Both treatments induced caspase 3 activity, DNA fragmentation, malondialdehyde (MDA) production, and superoxide dismutase activity in the cells. MDA production was higher after Tl(III) than after Tl(I) treatment. Moreover, co-treatment with antioxidants, such as mannitol, ascorbic acid, or tocopherol, significantly attenuated the Tl-induced decrease in GT1-7 cell numbers. Therefore, both treatments induced oxidative stress-related apoptosis. Furthermore, Tl(III) reduced the cell viability more subtly than Tl(I) after 1 and 3 h of treatment. This effect was enhanced by co-treatment with maltol or citric acid, which promoted the influx of metallic elements into the cells. Thus, Tl(III) entered GT1-7 cells later than Tl(I) and had a delayed onset of toxicity. However, Tl(III) likely produces more extracellular lipid peroxides, which may explain its stronger cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]