title: Folate deficiency increases genetic damage caused by alkylating agents and gamma-irradiation in Chinese hamster ovary cells.
abstract: The effect of folate deficiency on genetic damage caused by alkylating agents and gamma-irradiation was studied in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Mutant frequencies of 6-thioguanine-resistant and diphtheria toxin-resistant cells were not significantly increased by incubation in low-folate medium. In contrast, folate deficiency increased the mutant frequencies of 6-thioguanine-resistant cells caused by N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea or ethyl methanesulfonate by about 3-fold. Folate deficiency was associated with a 70% increase of diphtheria toxin-resistant cells after exposure to ethyl methanesulfonate. Folate deficiency alone caused DNA strand breaks equivalent to 26 cGy, as monitored by alkaline filter elution. Following 400 cGy of gamma-irradiation, folate-deficient cells manifested strand breaks equivalent to a dose of 710 cGy. CHO cells in folate-containing medium repaired breaks within 3 h, while cells in low-folate medium had an increased break frequency (P = 0.02) at 3 h and were unable to fully repair radiation-induced damage even after 9 h. These studies indicate that folate deficiency acts synergistically with alkylating agents to increase somatic mutation and with gamma-irradiation to promote DNA strand breaks in CHO cells. Folate deficiency appears to potentiate the genetic damage caused by mutagens/carcinogens by limiting DNA repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington 05401.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Branda
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Blickensderfer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002470:Cell Survival; D006224:Cricetinae; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004249:DNA Damage; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005020:Ethyl Methanesulfonate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D008770:Methylnitrosourea / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017354:Point Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D013866:Thioguanine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004167:Diphtheria Toxin; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D004247:DNA; D005020:Ethyl Methanesulfonate; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; D013866:Thioguanine