DNA breakage by methyl methanesulfonate and its repair in brain and liver cells cultured from fetal rat and mouse.
DNA strand breakage and repair following methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) treatment of primary cell cultures from 14-day fetal Sprague-Dawley rat brain and liver and 12-day fetal C57BL/6 mouse brain and liver, were studied using alkaline sucrose density gradient analysis. Cells were incubated with MMS (7 mM or 14 mM) for 20 min and harvested for alkaline sucrose gradients 40 min or 24 h later. The extent of initial damage in fetal rat and fetal mouse cells was comparable. Fetal mouse brain and liver and rat liver showed nearly complete repair 24 h after treatment. However, fetal rat brain cells showed comparatively little repair after 24 h. The possible significance of a repair deficit in cultured rat fetal brain cells and the striking neurogenic organotropism of transplacentally administered direct-acting alkylating agents in the rat is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008741:Methyl Methanesulfonate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008970:Molecular Weight; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D004247:DNA; D008741:Methyl Methanesulfonate