Thymine glycol and thymidine glycol in human and rat urine: a possible assay for oxidative DNA damage.

Abstract

Thymine glycol is a DNA damage product of ionizing radiation and other oxidative mutagens. In an attempt to find a noninvasive assay for oxidative DNA damage in individuals, we have developed an HPLC assay for free thymine glycol and thymidine glycol in urine. Our results indicate that humans excrete about 32 nmol of the two glycols per day. Rats, which have a higher specific metabolic rate and a shorter life span, excrete about 15 times more thymine glycol plus thymidine glycol per kg of body weight than do humans. We present evidence that thymine glycol and thymidine glycol are likely to be derived from repair of oxidized DNA, rather than from alternative sources such as the diet or bacterial flora. This noninvasive assay of DNA oxidation products may allow the direct testing of current theories which relate oxidative metabolism to the processes of aging and cancer in man.

• Authors: R Cathcart, E Schwiers, R L Saul, B N Ames
• Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A) Vol. 81 Issue 18 Pg. 5633-7 (Sep 1984) ISSN: 0027-8424 [Print] United States
• PMID: 6592579 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Tritium
• thymine glycol
• thymidine glycol
• Glucose
• Thymine
• Thymidine

Topics

• Animals
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid (methods)
• DNA Replication
• Germ-Free Life
• Glucose (metabolism)
• Humans
• Rats
• Species Specificity
• Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
• Thymidine (analogs & derivatives, urine)
• Thymine (analogs & derivatives, urine)
• Tritium