• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.112-115
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• 1999

The action mechanism of the inhibitory effect of some natural products on the DNA strand break and DNA damage was investigated in vitro and in vivo. In the E. coli chromosomal DNA strand break experiment in vitro, three mushroom water extracts were effective on the DNA strand breaking by daunorubicin. Phellinus linteus water extract inactivated daunorubicin, a DNA strand breaking agent, but did not protect DNA from daunorubicin-induced DNA strand breaking. Agaricus blazei water extract inhibited DNA strand breaking action of daunorubicin not only by daunorubicin inactivation, but also by DNA protection from daunorubicin. An inhibitory effect of Ganoderma lucidum water extract on the DNA strand break was based on the DNA protection rather than daunorubicin inactivation. In vivo mutagen assay system (SOS-chromotest), among three mushroom water extracts Phellinus linteus water extract was the most effective one on the inhibition of DNA damage by 4-NQO. The results suggest that all three mushroom water extracts inhibit daunorubicin-induced DNA damage and in vivo DNA damaging action of 4-NQO by the reaction of mutagen inactivation or DNA protection from the mutagen.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.204-210
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• 2016

DNA damage responses are important for the maintenance of genome stability and the survival of organisms. Such responses are activated in the presence of DNA damage and lead to cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and DNA repair. In Caenorhabditis elegans, double-strand breaks induced by DNA damaging agents have been detected indirectly by antibodies against DSB recognizing proteins. In this study we used a comet assay to detect DNA strand breaks and to measure the elimination of DNA strand breaks in mitotic germline nuclei of C. elegans. We found that C. elegans brc-1 mutants were more sensitive to ionizing radiation and camptothecin than the N2 wild-type strain and repaired DNA strand breaks less efficiently than N2. This study is the first demonstration of direct measurement of DNA strand breaks in mitotic germline nuclei of C. elegans. This newly developed assay can be applied to detect DNA strand breaks in different C. elegans mutants that are sensitive to DNA damaging agents.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.346-351
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• 2003

Single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) was used to detect DNA single strand break in blood cells from several marine fish species. Three fish species were collected from Georgia coastal area. Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus showed higher DNA damage than sea bass, Lateolabrax japonicus and trout, Oncorhynchus masou masou under the same experimental conditions. Mummichogs had more alkaline-labile sites on their DNA than other fish species. The comet assay with mummichog blood cells at pH 12.5 showed a dose-response curve with the increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. While the isolated leucocytes showed no increase of DNA damage after in vitro exposure to 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MNQ), erythrocytes showed dose-dependent DNA damage. These results indicate that the comet assay can be applied successfully as a bioassay using erythrocyte for environmental monitoring.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.339-343
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• 2016

Background: Evaluation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-strand break is important to elucidate the biological effect of ionizing radiations. The conventional methods for DNA-strand break evaluation have been achieved by Agarose gel electrophoresis and others using an electrical property of DNAs. Such kinds of DNA-strand break evaluation systems can estimate DNA-strand break, according to a molecular weight of DNAs. However, the conventional method needs pretreatment of the sample and a relatively long period for analysis. They do not have enough sensitivity to detect the strand break products in the low-dose region. Materials and Methods: The sample is water, methanol and plasmid DNA solution. The plasmid DNA pUC118 was multiplied by using Escherichia coli JM109 competent cells. The resonance frequency and Q-value were measured by means of microwave dielectric absorption spectroscopy. When a sample is located at a center of the electric field, resonance curve of the frequency that existed as a standing wave is disturbed. As a result, the perturbation effect to perform a resonance with different frequency is adopted. Results and Discussion: The resonance frequency shifted to higher frequency with an increase in a concentration of methanol as the model of the biological material, and the Q-value decreased. The absorption peak in microwave power spectrum of the double-strand break plasmid DNA shifted from the non-damaged plasmid DNA. Moreover, the sharpness of absorption peak changed resulting in change in Q-value. We confirmed that a resonance frequency shifted to higher frequency with an increase in concentration of the plasmid DNA. Conclusion: We developed a new technique for an evaluation of DNA damage. In this paper, we report the evaluation method of DNA damage using microwave dielectric absorption spectroscopy.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.32-38
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of galangin towards hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage. The calf thymus DNA and Chinese Hamster Lung (CHL) cells were used to measure 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine(8-OH2'dG) as an indicator of DNA oxidative damage using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Hydrogen peroxide in the presence of Fe(II) ion induced the formation of 8-OH2'dG in both calf thymus DNA and CHL cells. The DNA damage effects were enhanced by increasing the concentration of Fe(II) ion and inhibited by galangin. In the single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay), galangin and dl-a-tocopherol showed an inhibitory effect in CHL on hydrogen peroxide induced DNA single strand breaks. Galangin showed more potent activity than dl-$\alpha$-tocopherol under our experimental conditions. These results indicate that galangin can modify the action mechanisms of the oxidative DNA damage and may act as chemopreventive agents against oxidative stress.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-20
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• 2001

The alkaline comet assay, employing a single-cell gel electrophoresis(SCGE), is a rapid, simple and sensitive technique for visualizing and measuring DNA damage leading to strand breakage in individual mammalian cells. The protecting effect of pretreatment with vitamin C and cysteine on the DNA damage of gamma ray was investigated in mice splenic lymphocytes. Vitamin C and cysteine were administered orally for five consecutive days before irradiation. Four week old ICR male mice were irradiated wish 3.5Gy of γ-radiation and were sacrificed 3 days later. Spleens were taken for DNA damage examination by Comet assay and the tail moments of DNA single -strand breaks in tole splenic lymphocytes were evaluated. The results show that pretreatment with vitamin C and cysteine were effective in protecting against DNA damage by gamma ray. Administration of antioxidants like vitamin C and cysteine to mice before irradiation was effective in reducing the tail moment of splenic lymphocytes DNA.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2017

Background: The combined effect of the low energy electron (LEE) irradiation and $Cu^{2+}$ ion on DNA damage was investigated. Materials and Methods: Lyophilized pBR322 plasmid DNA films with various concentrations (1-15 mM) of $Cu^{2+}$ ion were independently irradiated by monochromatic LEEs with 5 eV. The types of DNA damage, single strand break (SSB) and double strand break (DSB), were separated and quantified by gel electrophoresis. Results and Discussion: Without electron irradiation, DNA damage was slightly increased with increasing Cu ion concentration via Fenton reaction. LEE-induced DNA damage, with no Cu ion, was only 6.6% via dissociative electron attachment (DEA) process. However, DNA damage was significantly increased through the combined effect of LEE-irradiation and Cu ion, except around 9 mM Cu ion. The possible pathways of DNA damage for each of these different cases were suggested. Conclusion: The combined effect of LEE-irradiation and Cu ion is likely to cause increasing dissociation after elevated transient negative ion state, resulting in the enhanced DNA damage. For the decrease of DNA damage at around 9-mM Cu ion, it is assumed to be related to the structural stabilization due to DNA inter- and intra-crosslinks via Cu ion.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.190-194
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• 2011

After the first report that electrons with sub-ionization energy of DNA could cause single strand breaks or double strand breaks to DNA, there have been various studies to investigate the mechanisms of DNA damage by low-energy electrons. In this paper, we examined the possibility of using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to analyze the dissociation patterns of the molecular bonds by electron irradiation on DNA thin films and tried to establish the method as a general tool for studying the radiation damage of biomolecules by low energ yelectrons. For the experiment, pBR322 plasmid DNA solution was formed into the films on tantalum plates by lyophilization and was irradiated by 5-eV electrons. Un-irradiated and irradiated DNA films were compared and analyzed using the XPS technique.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.188-193
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• 1997

Membrane lipid peroxidation processes yield products that may react with DNA to cause mutations. Lipid hydroperoxides from linoleic acid in the presence of transition metal ions caused strand breaks in plasmid DNA. DNA damage induced by reactive aldehydes known to be produced by decomposition of lipid hydroperoxides, such as 4-hydroxynonenal or rnalondialdehyde, was repaired by endonucleases and exonuclease III which resulted in the increase of single strand breaks in DNA. Lipid hydroperoxides as well as malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal also caused mutations in the pUC18 lacZ' gene when measured as a loss of ${\alpha}-cornplementation$. In conclusion. the lipid peroxidation could be an important intermediary event in DNA damage and mutation by oxidative stress.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.97-103
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• 2005

The genotoxic effect of antimalarial drugs amodiaquine (AQ), mefloquine (MQ) and halofantrine (HF) was investigated in.at liver cells using the alkaline comet assay. AQ, MQ and HF at concentrations between $0-1000{\mu}mol/L$ significantly increased DNA strand breaks of rat liver cells dose-dependently. The order of induction of strand breaks was AQ>MQ>HF. The rat liver cells exposed to AQ and HF (200 and 400 ${\mu}mol/L$) and treated with (Fpg) the bacterial DNA repair enzyme that recognizes oxidized purine showed greater DNA damage than those not treated with the enzyme, providing evidence that AQ and HF induced oxidation of purines. Such an effect was not observed when MQ was treated with the enzyme. Treatment of cells with catalase, an enzyme inactivating hydrogen peroxide, decreased significantly the extent of DNA damage induced by AQ, and HF but not the one induced by MQ. Similarly quercetin, an antioxidant flavonoid at $50{\mu}mol/L$ attenuated the extent of the formation of DNA strand breaks by both AQ and HE. Quercetin, however, did not modify the effects of MQ. These results indicate the genotoxicity of AQ, MQ and HF in rat liver cells. In addition, the results suggest that reactive oxygen species may be involved in the formation of DNA lesions induced by AQ and HF and that, free radical scavengers may elicit protective effects against genotoxicity of these antimalarial drugs.