title: Role of ascorbic acid on mercuric chloride-induced genotoxicity in human blood cultures.
abstract: Efforts are made to find therapeutic agents capable of minimizing genotoxicity of various natural and man-made compounds. The genotoxicity induced by mercury compounds remains controversial. Therefore we have investigated the genotoxic effect of mercuric chloride (MC; HgCl(2)) at three concentrations (1.052, 5.262 and 10.524 microM) and role of L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) at a concentration of 9.734 microM on MC-treated short-term human leucocyte cultures. We assessed the proliferative rate index (PRI), sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and chromosomal aberrations (CAS) in control and MC-treated cultures with and without vitamin C supplementation. The results showed that MC has no effect on cell-cycle kinetics, but the frequency of SCE/cell was significantly higher in a dose-dependent manner than control values. HgCl(2) also significantly induced C-anaphases (abnormal mitosis) in blood cultures. These effects were prevented by the addition of vitamin C to MC-treated cultures. The data indicate the mutagenic activity of MC and the protective role of vitamin C on mercury-induced genotoxicity in human blood cultures is probably due to its strong antioxidant and nucleophilic nature.
authors.affiliation: Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, 380009, Ahmedabad, India.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Chinoy
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Suthar
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Rajvanshi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D001205:Ascorbic Acid