title: S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine: a non-cytotoxic hypomethylating agent.
abstract: The cytotoxic effect caused by the hypomethylating agent S-adenosyl-L- homocysteine (SAH) was compared with that of two drugs commonly used to induce DNA hypomethylation, 5-azacytidine and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. Two in vitro cytotoxicity tests, the tetrazolium MTT assay and the intracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity test, suggest that SAH induces hypomethylation without causing any cytotoxic effect. We propose the use of SAH as a non-cytotoxic agent which may be more suitable for inducing experimental DNA hypomethylation.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: De Cabo
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hazen
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Molero
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-Piqueras
mesh_terms: D001374:Azacitidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000633:toxicity; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077209:Decitabine; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects; D012435:S-Adenosylhomocysteine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts
chemical_list: D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D000077209:Decitabine; D004247:DNA; D012435:S-Adenosylhomocysteine; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; D001374:Azacitidine