Carcinogen-induced chromosomal breakage decreased by antioxidants.

Abstract

Blood leukocyte cultures were incubated with antioxidants and the carcinogens sodium cyclamate and 7,12-dimethylbenz(alpha)anthracene in different combinations. There were 17.4% more chromosomal breaks in the group of cells treated with dimethylbenzanthracene only than in the untreated controls. The reductions in chromosomal breaks by the antioxidants were as follows: ascorbic acid, 31.7%; butylated hydroxytoluene, 63.8%; Na(2)SeO(3), 42.0%; and dl-alpha-tocopherol, 63.2%. Multiple chromosomal breaks were distributed equally throughout the experimental groups. Sodium cyclamate had only slightly more chromosomal breaks than the controls (11.6 compared to 10.9%). In the cyclamate groups treated with Na(2)SeO(3), 11.2% of chromosomes were broken. More acrocentric-type chromosomal breaks (21.7%) were seen in the untreated cells than the cells treated with cyclamate (3.4%) or dimethylbenzanthracene alone (4.8%). The carcinogen-treated groups had a higher percentage of meta breaks than the untreated controls.

• Authors: R J Shamberger, F F Baughman, S L Kalchert, C S Willis, G C Hoffman
• Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A) Vol. 70 Issue 5 Pg. 1461-3 (May 1973) ISSN: 0027-8424 [Print] United States
• PMID: 4514315 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antioxidants
• Benz(a)Anthracenes
• Carcinogens
• Cresols
• Cyclamates
• Lectins
• Vitamin E
• Sodium
• Selenium
• Ascorbic Acid

Topics

• Adult
• Antioxidants (pharmacology)
• Ascorbic Acid (pharmacology)
• Benz(a)Anthracenes (pharmacology)
• Carcinogens (antagonists & inhibitors, pharmacology)
• Chromosome Aberrations
• Chromosomes (drug effects)
• Cresols (pharmacology)
• Cyclamates (pharmacology)
• Humans
• In Vitro Techniques
• Lectins (pharmacology)
• Leukocytes (cytology, drug effects)
• Male
• Selenium (pharmacology)
• Sodium (pharmacology)
• Vitamin E (pharmacology)