PURPOSE: Glyphosate is a widely used non-selective herbicide. Previous studies have shown that glyphosate has genotoxicity, and that even low-doses of glyphosate can cause DNA damage. Melatonin is a hormone produced and secreted by the pineal gland that is known to be a potent anti-carcinogen, anti-oxidant, and genetic protector. This study was conducted to investigate the genoprotective effect of melatonin against glyphosate in human blood lymphocytes. METHODS: Human peripheral blood was obtained from 15 young, healthy volunteers and cultured under four different toxicologic conditions. The four groups consisted of a control group, glyphosate only group (300 ng/mL), glyphosate with low level of melatonin group (50 µM), and glyphosate with high level of melatonin group (200 µM). The mean Sister Chromatid Exchange (SCE) frequency of each group was then analyzed. RESULTS: Glyphosate exposed groups had a higher mean SCE frequency (10.33±2.50) than the control group (6.78±2.31, p<0.001). Interestingly, the group that received a low-level of melatonin had a lower mean SCE frequency (8.67±2.58) than the glyphosate-only group, while the group that received a high level of melatonin had a much lower mean SCE frequency (8.06±2.50) than the glyphosate-only group. There was statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Melatonin exerted a potent gene protective effect against the genotoxicity of glyphosate on human blood lymphocytes in a dose-dependent fashion.
DNA Damage ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans* ; Lymphocytes* ; Melatonin* ; Pineal Gland ; Sister Chromatid Exchange

PURPOSE: Green tea is known as a potent anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogen, and genetic protector. Glyphosate (N-phosphonomethyl glycine) is a widely used non-selective herbicide that causes DNA damage. The present study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of green tea in human blood lymphocytes exposed to glyphosate using the Sister Chromatid Exchange (SCE) frequency method. METHODS: Peripheral blood was obtained from 10 volunteers and cultured through four different conditions. Four groups were divided into control, glyphosate only (300 ng/mL), glyphosate and low (20 µm) concentrations of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and glyphosate and high (100 µm) concentrations of EGCG. RESULTS: The glyphosate exposed groups had a higher mean SCE frequency (10.33±2.50) than the control group (6.38±2.28, p<0.001). The low concentrations of EGCG groups had a lower mean SCE frequency (9.91±1.93) than the glyphosate-only group, although this difference was not significant (p=0.219). However, the high concentration group (9.49±1.85) had a significantly lower SCE frequency than the glyphosate-only group (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: EGCG has a gene protective effect in human lymphocytes exposed to the genotoxicity of glyphosate in the case of high concentrations.
DNA Damage ; Genes, vif ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Lymphocytes* ; Methods ; Siblings* ; Sister Chromatid Exchange* ; Tea ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: Glyphosate (N-phosphonomethyl glycine) is widely used as an herbicide for weed control in rural areas. It is also readily available for suicide attempts. Glyphosate has high toxicity and negatively affects the human body. The aim of this investigation was to study the genotoxicity of a low-concentration of glyphosate through sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in human blood lymphocytes in vitro. METHODS: Primary lymphocyte cultures were obtained from blood samples of 11 males and seven females who had been exposed to glyphosate (0, 100, 200, and 300 ng/mL). The frequency of SCEs was examined and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: All doses of glyphosate induced a significant dose-dependent increase in SCE frequency compared with the control group (P<0.001). In particular, the SCE frequency for exposure to low-dose glyphosate was significantly higher in females than in males. CONCLUSION: According to the result of this study, even a low-dose of glyphosate may damage DNA and females are more vulnerable to glyphosate.
DNA ; Female ; Human Body ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Sister Chromatid Exchange* ; Suicide ; Toxicology ; Weed Control

PURPOSE: Glyphosate (N-phosphonomethyl glycine) is widely used as an herbicide for weed control in rural areas. It is also readily available for suicide attempts. Glyphosate has high toxicity and negatively affects the human body. The aim of this investigation was to study the genotoxicity of a low-concentration of glyphosate through sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in human blood lymphocytes in vitro. METHODS: Primary lymphocyte cultures were obtained from blood samples of 11 males and seven females who had been exposed to glyphosate (0, 100, 200, and 300 ng/mL). The frequency of SCEs was examined and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: All doses of glyphosate induced a significant dose-dependent increase in SCE frequency compared with the control group (P<0.001). In particular, the SCE frequency for exposure to low-dose glyphosate was significantly higher in females than in males. CONCLUSION: According to the result of this study, even a low-dose of glyphosate may damage DNA and females are more vulnerable to glyphosate.
DNA ; Female ; Human Body ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Sister Chromatid Exchange* ; Suicide ; Toxicology ; Weed Control

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

Healthcare workers are exposed to a variety of chemical agents used in many different areas and purposes. The chemicals could cause health problems to healthcare workers using them. Glutaraldehyde is a kind of disinfectant and used for endoscopes, catheters, and many kinds of operating apparatus. It may cause allergic contact dermatitis. Formaldehyde is another disinfectant and can be used for fixing tissues. Formaldehyde was classified to a Group 1 carcinogen by IARC and it may cause lung or nasal cancer. Ethylene Oxide gas is the most popular disinfectant these days and may be applied to many health care sets or linens. EO gas may cause allergic contact dermatitis and breast cancer or leukemia. It is also classified as Group 1 carcinogen despite limited evidence for human cancers. Anesthetics are related to genotoxicities, sister chromatid exchange, and might be related to spontaneous abortion, stillbirth or birth defects. Some of the anti-neoplastic drugs such as Busulfan, Chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, melphalan are Group 1 carcinogens. They could cause nausea, pruritus, or decreasing leukocytes or platelets. Other miscellaneous chemical agents are heavy metals such as elementary mercury or lead and organic solvents such as toluene, xylene and acetone. Although some of these chemical agents including EO gas have occasionally exceeded to permissible level, air levels of most above chemicals in Korean hospitals were relatively low. However, we have to make every effort to reduce the exposure level of these chemicals.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Acetone ; Anesthetics ; Bedding and Linens ; Blood Platelets ; Breast Neoplasms ; Busulfan ; Carcinogens ; Catheters ; Chlorambucil ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Cyclophosphamide ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Endoscopes ; Ethylene Oxide ; Ethylenes ; Female ; Formaldehyde ; Glutaral ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Leukocytes ; Lung ; Melphalan ; Metals, Heavy ; Nausea ; Nose Neoplasms ; Pregnancy ; Pruritus ; Sister Chromatid Exchange ; Solvents ; Stillbirth ; Toluene ; Xylenes

OBJECTIVEto study the role of structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC)1, SMC3, Separase and Securin in tumorgenesis that contact with coal tar pitch.

METHODSthe BEAS-2B cells was induced by coal tar pitch smoke extracts to form malignant transformation cell model in vitro. The gene expression levels of mRNA were assessed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR, and the protein expression variation were determined by cell culture overslip of immunohistochemical methods.

RESULTSin malignant transformation cells, the mRNA and the protein expression level of SMC1 gene was not statistically significantly different compared with the BEAS-2B group and DMSO group (P > 0.05); SMC3 and Separase was increased and Securin was decreased (P < 0.05), while the difference between other two control groups was not significant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSthe up expression level of SMC3 and Separase and the down expression level of Securin are involved in the process that evolves into malignant transformation in bronchial epithelial cells BEAS-2B induced by coal tar pitch smoke extracts.

Bronchi ; cytology ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cell Line, Transformed ; cytology ; drug effects ; Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans ; metabolism ; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone ; metabolism ; Coal Tar ; toxicity ; Endopeptidases ; metabolism ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Separase ; Sister Chromatid Exchange ; Smoke ; adverse effects

PURPOSE: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are frequently used in oral surgical procedures in dentistry. The evaluation of the frequency of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) is accepted as a reliable cytogenetic method to assess the genotoxic effects of environmental factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the genotoxic effects of various NSAIDs were assessed in 30 patients to who they were administered following encluosed third molar surgery using SCE analysis before and after the operation. The frequency of SCE was evaluated before the operation and after 3 days of etodolac, nimesulid and naproxen use. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of SCE between the preoperative and postoperative states in patients given etodolac, nimesulid or naproxen sodium. CONCLUSION: Short term use of selective and non-selective NSAIDs was not associated with a significant genotoxic effect that could be detected using the SCE method in peripheric lymphocytes.
Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/*adverse effects ; Etodolac/adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Molar, Third/*surgery ; Mutagenicity Tests ; Naproxen/adverse effects ; Prospective Studies ; Sister Chromatid Exchange/*drug effects ; Sulfonamides/adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo determine the in vitro possible clastogenic and cytotoxic activities of Ulva rigida crude extracts (URE), and identify their antigenotoxic and protective effects on chemotherapeutic agent mitomycine-C (MMC).

METHODSAnti-clastogenic and anti-genotoxic activities of Ulva rigida crude extracts (URE) were studied using chromosome aberration (CA), sister chromatid exchange (SCE), and micronuclei (MN) tests in human lymphocytes cultured in vitro.

RESULTSThe chromosome aberration, sister chromatid exchange or micronuclei tests showed that URE at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 microg/mL had no clastogenic activity in human lymphocyte cell culture. Three doses of URE significantly decreased the number of chromosomal aberrations and the frequencies of SCE and MN when compared with the culture treated with MMC (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONAlthough URE itself is not a clastogenic or cytotoxic substance, it possesses strong antigenotoxic, anti-clastogenic, and protective effects on MMC in vitro.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Antimutagenic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Chlorophyta ; Chromosome Aberrations ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Micronucleus Tests ; Mitomycins ; pharmacology ; Mutagens ; toxicity ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Sister Chromatid Exchange ; drug effects

Cells, Cultured ; Coal ; toxicity ; Dust ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Mutagenicity Tests ; Mutagens ; toxicity ; Mutation ; drug effects ; Salmonella typhimurium ; drug effects ; genetics ; Sister Chromatid Exchange ; drug effects