The effect of donor age on spontaneous and induced micronuclei.
The spontaneous micronucleus yield in lymphocyte cultures from healthy donors aged 0-82 years was estimated at 72 h and 96 h of culture. At both 72 and 96 h there was a positive correlation of micronucleus expression with increasing age (p less than 0.001), with an approximately 4-fold increase in micronuclei in cultures from 80-year-old donors when compared to cultures from newborn donors. Since there is some evidence that the effect of DNA-damaging agents may increase with age, lymphocytes from individuals of various ages were exposed to X-rays and mitomycin C and micronuclei were scored after 72 and 96 h of culture. Micronucleus formation after exposure to these agents was, however, decreased in cells from elderly individuals, most likely due to kinetic differences between the lymphocytes of old and young individuals.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin; D008937:Mitomycins; D009154:Mutation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D014965:X-Rays
D008937:Mitomycins; D016685:Mitomycin; D004247:DNA