PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the rate of sister chromatid exchange (SCE), the occurrence of micronuclei, and the lymphocyte proliferation rate index (PRI) in patients with breast cancer, their first-degree relatives, and healthy volunteers. METHODS: We analyzed the frequency of SCE and micronuclei, and the PRI in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 30 women with breast cancer, 22 of their female family members, and 20 age-matched healthy female volunteers. RESULTS: SCE occurred significantly more often in the lymphocytes of breast cancer patients (10.84+/-0.4 per metaphase), compared with their first-degree relatives (7.45+/-0.54) and controls (5.94+/-0.2) (p<0.001 for both). The mean SCE frequency was not statistically different between first-degree relatives and controls (p=0.071). Similarly, micronuclei occurred at a significantly higher rate in breast cancer patients (9.6+/-0.72), and in their first-degree relatives (7+/-0.64), compared to controls (3.85+/-0.4) (p<0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). There was also a significant difference between the occurrence of micronuclei in patients compared to their family members (p=0.021). The PRI was significantly lower in patients (1.61+/-0.1), compared with both their first-degree relatives (1.75+/-0.1), and controls (1.74+/-0.1) (p=0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Increased SCE and the occurrence of micronuclei, as well as a reduced PRI are associated with breast cancer. Furthermore, increased SCE and the frequency of micronuclei in a first-degree relative suggest that they exhibit greater genetic instability than women of the same age.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cytogenetics ; DNA Damage ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Micronucleus, Germline ; Sister Chromatid Exchange

AIMTo examine the effects of melatonin treatment on lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the testicular tissue of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.

METHODSTwenty-six male rats were randomly divided into three groups as follows: group I, control, non-diabetic rats (n = 9); group II, STZ-induced, untreated diabetic rats (n = 8); group III, STZ-induced, melatonin-treated (dose of 10 mg/kg . day) diabetic rats (n = 9). Following 8-week melatonin treatment, all rats were anaesthetized and then were killed to remove testes from the scrotum.

RESULTSAs compared to group I, in rat testicular tissues of group II , increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.01) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) (P < 0.01) as well as decreased levels of catalase (CAT) (P < 0.01) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (P > 0.05) were found. In contrast, as compared to group II, in rat testicular tissues of group III, levels of MDA decreased (but this decrease was not significant, P > 0.05) and SOD (P < 0.01) as well as CAT (P < 0.05) increased. GSH-Px was not influenced by any of the treatment. Melatonin did not significantly affect the elevated glucose concentration of diabetic group. At the end of the study, there was no significant difference between the melatonin-treated group and the untreated group by means of body and testicular weight.

CONCLUSIONDiabetes mellitus increases oxidative stress and melatonin inhibits lipid peroxidation and might regulate the activities of antioxidant enzymes of diabetic rat testes.

Animals ; Catalase ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Melatonin ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reference Values ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Testis ; drug effects ; metabolism