Animals ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Male ; Organometallic Compounds ; toxicity ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo detect the DNA damage of the nurses occupationally exposed to anticancer drugs and to assess the exposure level using Comet assay.

METHODSSixteen nurses occupationally exposed to anticancer drugs were selected as exposure group, the average exposure period was 5.6 years, and the average exposure dose was to prepare 7.8 portions of anticancer drugs daily. Meanwhile, sixteen nurse students were selected as control group. The DNA migration of the peripheral lymphocytes of both groups was detected using comet assay.

RESULTSThe comet length was 46.27 microns in exposure group, which was significantly higher than that of control group (26.78 microns, P < 0.01). Also the percentage of long tailed nucleus (LTN) of exposure group was 64.83%, which was significantly higher than that of control group (4.87%, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThere was DNA damage in the nurses occupationally exposed to antineoplastic drugs.

Antineoplastic Agents ; adverse effects ; DNA Damage ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Nurses ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo study DNA damage of workers occupationally exposed to lead with flow cytometer assay.

METHODSThe lymphocytes were obtained from 41 workers occupationally exposed to lead (comparable group) and another 50 from control group. Flow cytometer (FCM) assay was used to detect DNA damage.

RESULTSDNA damage rate and geometric mean fluorescence intensity in the comparable group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the DNA damage and geometric mean fluorescence intensity between different age groups (P>0.05). The differences in correlation analysis between blood lead, urine lead, delta-ALA and DNA damage rate were not significant (P>0.05). The correlation analysis showed no statistical significance between concentration of blood lead, urine lead, delta-ALA and geometric mean fluorescence intensity (P>0.05). There was positive correlations not only between the high concentration of blood lead, delta-ALA and damage rate of DNA, but also between the high concentration of blood lead and geometric mean fluorescence intensity. The coefficient r showed statistical significance (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONOccupational lead exposure can cause DNA damage. Gamma H2AX flow cytometer assay is a sensitive, objective and effective method for detection of DNA damage of peripheral blood lymphocytes.

DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Lead ; adverse effects ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects

Cells, Cultured ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Styrene ; adverse effects

Adult ; Chromosome Aberrations ; drug effects ; Ethylene Oxide ; poisoning ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo determine whether supplementation of zinc and vitamin A may improve the function of T cells in human PBMC.

METHODST cells were separated and cultured in vitro, supplemented with either Zn or vitamin A alone, or both Zn and vitamin A (10(-6) mol/L, 10(-5) mol/L, 10(-4) mol/L). After harvesting, cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, expression or function of cell-surface molecules, such as CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ were detected.

RESULTSHigher proliferation level and lower apoptosis level were observed in cells supplemented with both Zn and vitamin A, showing the strongest effect (P < 0.05). Zn-supplement increased the CD4+/CD3+ cell percentage, and simultaneously decreased the CD8+/CD3+ cell population. VA-supplement showed the opposite effect in comparison with Zn-supplement.

CONCLUSIONT-cell function can be improved, depending on the zinc and/or vitamin A supplemented.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Drug Synergism ; Humans ; T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Vitamin A ; pharmacology ; Zinc ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study comparatively the cytotoxicity induced by acid bentonite and organic bentonite.

METHODSThe cytotoxicity of two kinds of bentonite was detected using CCK8 assay, neutral red uptake (NRU) assay, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage assay, apoptosis assay and hemolysis assay. In hemolysis assay human erythrocytes served as target cells and were exposed to the two kinds of bentonite at the doses of 0, 0.3125, 0.6250, 1.2500 and 2.5000 mg/ml for ten min. In other four assays, human B lymphoblast cells (HMy2.CIR) served as target cells and were exposed to the two kinds of bentonite at the doses of 0, 10, 20, 30, 60, 120 and 180 microg/ml for four h.

RESULTSIn hemolysis assay, the hemolysis rates induced by two kinds of bentonite at all doses were significantly higher than that of control (P<0.05); in CCK-8 assay, the cellular activities in acid bentonite group at the doses > or =30 microg/ml and in organic bentonite group at the doses > or =20 microg/ml were significantly lower than that of control (P<0.01); the similar results appeared in NRU assay and LDH assay, and the dose-effect relationship was observed in above 4 assays. In apoptosis assay, the early apoptosis cell rates in acid bentonite group at the dose of 180 microg/ml and in organic bentonite group at the doses of 120,180 microg/ml were significantly higher than that of control (P<0.05). Moreover, the results of five in vitro assays indicated the cytotoxicity induced by organic bentonite was higher than that induced by acid bentonite.

CONCLUSIONTwo kinds of bentonite could induce cytotoxicity, such as apoptosis and damage of cell membrane. The cytotoxicity of organic bentonite is higher than that of acid bentonite due to the different industrial treatment and characteristics of two kinds of bentonite particles.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bentonite ; toxicity ; Cell Line ; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic ; Erythrocytes ; drug effects ; pathology ; Hemolysis ; drug effects ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the cyto-genotoxicity of cigarette smoke condensates (CSCs) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes with different assays in vitro.

METHODSHuman lymphocytes were exposed to particle matter of cigarette smoke combined with or without S9 mixtures at doses of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 microg/ml for 3 h. The cytotoxicity induced by CSCs was detected by CCK-8 assay. The DNA damage, DNA repair (repair time: 30, 60, 90, 120 and 240 min, respectively) and the somatic cell mutations induced by 75 microg/ml CSCs were measured by comet assay, hprt gene and TCR gene mutation tests, respectively.

RESULTSCCK-8 assay indicated that the cell viability decreased with CSCs doses. At the doses of 100, 125 microg/ml, the cell viability of CSCs +S9 group was significantly higher than that of CSCs -S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In comet assay, DNA damage significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with controls (P < 0.01). Moreover, there was significant difference between -S9 group and +S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The Mf-TCR at each dose group was significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The Mf-hprt at high-dose groups were significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.01), and significant difference of Mf-TCR and Mf-hprt at high doses of CSCs between -S9 group and +S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The DNA damage induced by CSCs +S9 or CSCs -S9 could be repaired, but DNA repair speed was different between -S9 group and +S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCSCs may induce cyto-genotoxicity in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro, but S9 mix could reduce the toxicity of CSCs and impact DNA repair speed.

Cells, Cultured ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; DNA Repair ; drug effects ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Male ; Mutation ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; adverse effects ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the partial therapeutic mechanism of Ginkgo Biloba extract (GBE) in treating asthma.

METHODSFourteen SD rats were randomly divided into two groups, 7 rats were sensitized as the asthmatic model group and the others taken as the healthy control group. T lymphocytes were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the rats, and were cultured in vitro with Ginkgolide B (BN-52021 group) or Ginkgo Biloba extract 761 (EGb761 group) in different concentrations or without any of them (control group). T lymphocytes proliferation in groups were measured by using MTT assay and the effect of BN-52021 on T lymphocytes apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry at various times.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, BN-52021 could significantly inhibit the proliferation of T lymphocytes in both healthy and asthmatic rats in vitro (P <0. 05). The effects were enhanced as the concentration increasing and the time prolonging, the effects to the latter were higher than those to the former, showing significant difference between them ( P <0.05 ). However, the effect of EGb761 was varied with the concentrations. EGb761 could promote T lymphocytes proliferation at low concentration but inhibit it at high concentration, there was a significant difference as compared with that in the control group ( all P < 0. 05). The apoptotic rate of T lymphocytes rose as the concentration of BN-52021 increasing (P < 0. 01).

CONCLUSIONGBE has different effects on T lymphocytes proliferation since the different ingredients and the concentrations in vitro, and it also has different effects between healthy and asthmatic rats. Ginkgolide B is the main active ingredient among them, it can not only inhibit T lymphocytes proliferation but also increase the apoptotic rate.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Ginkgo biloba ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects

OBJECTIVEExtracting the total protein from scorpii tegument, investigating its effect on immune system by transformation of T/B cell.

METHODWater-soluble protein(ST1) was extracted by distilled water method and salting-out method, while keratin(ST2) by deoxidization method. Sephadex G-50 was used to isolate the protein. The effects of components isolated by sephadex G-50 on T/B and NK cell were investigated.

RESULTThe protein from scorpii tegument could increase the transformation of T/B cell distinctly in vitro, while no apparent effect on NK cell.

CONCLUSIONProtein from scorpii tegument could modulate the immune system, which may offer a new way for people to find protein drugs.

Animals ; B-Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Female ; Keratins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Killer Cells, Natural ; drug effects ; Lymphocyte Activation ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Proteins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Scorpions ; chemistry ; Skin ; chemistry ; T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects