title: Protective effects of antioxidants against UVA-induced DNA damage in human skin fibroblasts in culture.
abstract: Ultraviolet A radiation (UVA, 320-400 nm) is mutagenic and induces genomic damage to skin cells. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), selenium and zinc have been shown to have antioxidant properties and to exhibit protective effects against UVA cytotoxicity. The present work attempts to delineate the effect of these compounds on genomic integrity of human skin fibroblasts exposed to UVA radiation using the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) or Comet assay. The cells were incubated with NAC (5 mM), sodium selenite (0.6 microM) or zinc chloride (100 microM). Then cells were embedded in low melting point agarose, and immediately submitted to UVA fluences ranging from 1 to 6J/cm2. In the Comet assay, the tail moment increased by 45% (1 J/cm2) to 89% (6J/cm2) in non-supplemented cells (p)<0.01). DNA damage was significantly prevented by NAC, Se and Zn, with a similar efficiency from 1 to 4J/cm2 (p < 0.05). For the highest UVA dose (6J/cm2), Se and Zn were more effective than NAC (p < 0.01).
authors.affiliation: LBSO/LCR7 No. 817, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Emonet-Piccardi
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ravanat
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Signorini
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cadet
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Béani
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001940:Breast; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000494:pharmacology; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002712:Chlorides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C016837:zinc chloride; D018038:Sodium Selenite; D000111:Acetylcysteine