• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.237-242
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• 2003

Single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) was used to the experiment with the variation on the amount of smoking and low dose radiation exposure to find how much the Lymphocyte DNA was damaged, and especially for whom smoke a lot(about 20 or more than 20 cigarettes a day) it was found to be highly damaged. While, the damage of 'not more than 20 cigarettes a day' was found to be not so much significant as like for whom smoke about or more than 20 cigarettes a day And, according to the different amount of the radiation exposure, the Lymphocyte DNA was found to be considerably damaged for 0-13m Sv (P<0.01), it was not able to prove the relationship between the DNA damage and the radiation exposure.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.366-377
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• 2011

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a multigene family of phase II detoxifying enzymes that metabolize a wide range of exogenous and endogenous electrophilic compounds. GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphisms may account for inter-individual variability in coping with oxidative stress. We investigated the relationships between the level of lymphocyte DNA and antioxidative parameters and the effect on GST genotypes. GSTM1 and GSTT1 were characterized in 301 young healthy Korean adults and compared with oxidative stress parameters such as the level of lymphocyte DNA, plasma antioxidant vitamins, and erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes in smokers and non smokers. GST genotype, degree of DNA damage in lymphocytes, erythrocyte activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and plasma concentrations of total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP), vitamin C, ${\alpha}$- and ${\gamma}$-tocopherol, ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-carotene, and cryptoxanthin were analyzed. Lymphocyte DNA damage assessed by the comet assay was higher in smokers than that in non-smokers, but the levels of plasma vitamin C, ${\beta}$-carotene, TRAP, erythrocyte catalase, and GSH-Px were lower than those of non-smokers (p < 0.05). Lymphocyte DNA damage was higher in subjects with the GSTM1- or GSTT1-present genotype than those with the GSTM1-present or GSTT1- genotype. No difference in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities, plasma TRAP, or vitamin levels was observed in subjects with the GSTM1 or GSTT1 genotypes, except ${\beta}$-carotene. Significant negative correlations were observed between lymphocyte DNA damage and plasma levels of TRAP and erythrocyte activities of catalase and GSH-Px after adjusting for smoking pack-years. Negative correlations were observed between plasma vitamin C and lymphocyte DNA damage only in individuals with the GSTM1-present or GSTT1- genotype. The interesting finding was the significant positive correlations between lymphocyte DNA damage and plasma levels of ${\alpha}$-carotene, ${\beta}$-carotene, and cryptoxanthin. In conclusion, the GSTM1- and GSTT1-present genotypes as well as smoking aggravated antioxidant status through lymphocyte DNA damage. This finding confirms that GST polymorphisms could be important determinants of antioxidant status in young smoking and non-smoking adults. Consequently, the protective effect of supplemental antioxidants on DNA damage in individuals carrying the GSTM1- or GSTT1-present genotypes might show significantly higher values than expected.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.540-547
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• 2011

High consumption of fruits and vegetables has been suggested to provide some protection to smokers who are exposed to an increased risk of numerous cancers and other degenerative diseases. Carrot is the most important source of dietary ${\beta}$-carotene. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether carrot juice supplementation to smokers can protect against lymphocyte DNA damage and to compare the effect of supplementationof capsules containing purified ${\beta}$-carotene or a placebo (simple lactose). The study was conducted in a randomized and placebo-controlled design. After a depletion period of 14 days, 48 smokers were supplemented with either carrot juice (n = 18), purified ${\beta}$-carotene (n = 16) or placebo (n = 14). Each group was supplemented for 8 weeks with approximately 20.49 mg of ${\beta}$-carotene/day and 1.2 mg of vitamin C/day, as carrot juice (300 ml/day) or purified ${\beta}$-carotene (20.49 mg of ${\beta}$-carotene, 1 capsule/day). Lymphocyte DNA damage was determined using the COMET assay under alkaline conditions and damage was quantified by measuring tail moment (TM), tail length (TL), and% DNA in the tail. Lymphocyte DNA damage was significantly decreased in the carrot juice group in all three measurements. The group that received purified ${\beta}$-carotene also showed a significant decrease in lymphocyte DNA damage in all three measurements. However, no significant changes in DNA damage was observed for the placebo group except TM (P = 0.016). Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme was not significantly changed after supplementation. Similarly plasma lipid profiles were not different after carrot juice, ${\beta}$-carotene and placebo supplementation. These results suggest that while the placebo group failed to show any protective effect, carrot juice containing beta-carotene or purified ${\beta}$-carotene itself had great antioxidative potential in preventing damage to lymphocyte DNA in smokers.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.557-562
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• 2009

We examined the effects of the NADPH oxidase p22phox C242T polymorphism on endurance exercise performance and oxidative DNA damage in response to acute and chronic exercises. One hundred three subjects were recruited, among which 26 healthy subjects (CC: 12, TC: 12, and TT: 2) were studied during rest, exercise at 85% $VO_2max$, and recovery before and after 8 weeks of treadmill running. Lymphocyte DNA damage increased significantly in response to exercise (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in plasma MDA, SOD concentrations and lymphocyte DNA damage between CC genotype and T allele group, but significant endurance training differences were observed. Endurance training increased exercise time to exhaustion in both the CC genotype and T allele groups (p < 0.05) but no significant difference was found between groups. The results of the current study with young, healthy, Korean men are interpreted to mean that 1) the majority had the CC genotype of the NADPH oxidase p22phox C242T polymorphism (82.5%: CC, 15.5%: TC, 1.9%: TT), 2) acute exercise increased lymphocyte DNA damage, 3) endurance training significantly increased exercise time to exhaustion, and alleviated lymphocyte DNA damage, and 4) The NADPH oxidase p22phox C242T polymorphism, however, did not alter lymphocyte DNA damage or exercise performance at rest, immediately after exercise, or during recovery.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.440-447
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• 2004

In this study the in vitro protective effects of several antioxidant vitamins (vitamin C, $\alpha$-tocopherol, $\beta$-carotene), fruits and vegetables (strawberry, tangerine, orange and 100％ orange juice, carrot juice), on the levels of isolated human lymphocyte DNA damage was measured using Comet assay. Comet assay has been used widely to assess the level of the DNA damage in the individual cells. Lymphocytes were pre-treated for 30 minutes with antioxidant vitamins (10, 50, 100, 500 $\mu$M) or fruits$.$vegetables (10, 100, 500, 1000 $\mu$g/ml), an4 then oxidatively challenged with 100 $\mu$M $H_2O$$_2$ for 5 min at 4$^{\circ}C$. The protective effect of antioxidant vitamins against DNA damage at a concentration of 50 $\mu$M were 50％ in vitamin C, 32％ in $\alpha$-tocopherol, whereas, fJ-carotene showed a 55％ protection at a dose as low as 10 $\mu$M. The inhibitory effects of DNA damage by strawberry, tangerine, orange, orange juices, carrot juices were 50 - 60％ with wide ranges of doses. The results of the present study indicate that most the antioxidant vitamins and fruits$.$vegetables juices produced a significant reduction in oxidative DNA damage.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.838-844
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender-specific changes of plasma MDA, SOD, and lymphocyte DNA damage during high intensity exercise. In this study, 17 healthy male and 18 healthy female college students ran on a treadmill at 85%$VO_{2max}$ until the point of all-out. Blood-collecting was carried out five times (Rest, Ex-Exha, R0.5h, R4h and R24h), and with the collected blood, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lymphocyte DNA damage were analyzed. Plasma MDA and SOD concentration increased significantly at the Ex-Exha (p<0.05), and there were no significant differences in gender. For the degree of lymphocyte DNA damage, all %DNA in the tail, tail length and tail moment increased significantly at the Ex-Exha (p<0.05), and %DNA in the tail and tail length were significantly higher in the male group than in the female group (p<0.05). These results suggest that acute high intensity exercise not only causes oxidative stress but also brings about lymphocyte DNA damage. In addition, it was found that males showed higher DNA damage than females in terms of oxidative stress subject to high intensity exercise. Nevertheless, further subsequent studies are required in order to better understand the mechanism behind DNA damage varying with gender, in a way that takes into consideration physical fitness, hormonal level, exercise intensity and duration - additional factors which might affect DNA damage.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.355-360
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• 2009

Phenanthrene ($C_{14}H_{10}$) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with three aromatic rings, and it can be produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Comet assay was used to examine the oxidative DNA damage of lymphocytes by phenanthrene and to measure the suppressive effects of ginseng extract on the DNA damage in this investigation. The in vitro oxidative DNA damage by phenanthrene increased in a dose-dependent manner in the lymphocyte. However, the DNA damage was significantly inhibited by ascorbate. Moreover, pretreatment, cotreatment and posttreatment with ginseng extract enhanced lymphocyte resistance to the phenanthrene-induced DNA damage. Phenanthrene enhanced the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, and the elevated reactive oxygen species level was reduced by treatment with ginseng extract.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.101-107
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• 2004

To ascertain the effects of hair dyeing application on the DNA damage in human lymphocytes, a mixture of permanent black colored hair dye with the same amount of oxidant containing 6% hydrogen peroxide was used. A hair dyeing with contacting the scalp (conventional dyeing) and a hair dyeing with 3 to 4mm away from the scalp (alternative dyeing) were applied to each If young healthy women. Blood was taken from the brachial vein at two sampling times, just before and 6 hours after the hair dyeing, and tail extent moment(TEM) and tail length (TL) were measured by using a comet assay. After dyeing, TL was significantly increased in both conventional dyeing group and alternative dyeing group compared with before dyeing as an average of 47% and 28%, respectively, and TL for conventional dyeing group was higher than alternative dyeing group as an average of 1.2 fold. After dyeing, TEM was significantly increased in both conventional dyeing group and alternative dyeing group compared with before dyeing as an average of 192% and 76%, respectively, and TEM for conventional dyeing group was significantly higher than alternative dyeing group as an average of 1.7 fold. Therefore, alternative dyeing application was induced to lower lymphocyte DNA damage than conventional dyeing application, and TEM was appeared to be a more sensitive tool for the measurement of lymphocyte DNA damage than TL in this study.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.281-290
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• 2004

The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether daily fruit juice consumption could reduce the DNA damage in healthy subjects. The study was performed using 67 healthy volunteers (29 smokers, 38 nonsmokers) who were supple-mented with 480 m1 of grape juice for 8 weeks. Eight weeks of grape juice consumption did not change any anthropometric parameters. Lymphocyte DNA damage before the study was significantly greater (p<0.05) in smoker than nonsmoker, but, grape juice consumption significantly reduced DNA damage in both smoker (26%) and nonsmoker (I7%) to the level where there was no difference remained between the two groups after the intervention trial. This preventive effect of grape juice against DNA damage was not affected by sex of the subjects in non-smokers. Plasma $\alpha$-carotene, Iyco-pene and ${\gamma}$-totopherol was significantly increased after the trial in smokers, while erythrocyte catalase was significan-tly increased in both smokers and nonsmokers. Total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) level in all subjects was significantly reduced after the intervention, while GSH-Px activity was increased only in nonsmokers. These results suggests that daily consumption of grape juice may protect DNA damage in peripheral lymphocytes, and supports the hypothesis that grape juice might exert their effect partially via a decrease in oxidative damage to DNA in humans partly by improving their antioxidative defense system.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2005

Electrolyzed reduced water (ERW), showing extremely negative oxidation-reduction potential, was used to investigate the effects of paraquat-induced damages on DNA from human lymphocyte. The effect of ERW on paraquat-induced oxidative DNA damage in human lymphocytes was evaluated by Comet assay (single-cell gel electrophoresis) quantified as percentage fluorescence in tail. Comet assay has been used widely to assess the level of the DNA damage in individual cells. Lymphocytes were oxidatively challenged with various concentrations of paraquat for 30 min at $37^{\circ}C$, and were then treated with electrolyzed reduced water for 30 min. The oxidative DNA damage by paraquat, as indicated by the fluorescent tail in DNA, increased in a dose-dependent manner. However, oxidative damage of the DNA was almost completely prevented upon treatment with electrolyzed reduced water.