title: Evaluation of the potential genotoxicity of chromium picolinate in mammalian cells in vivo and in vitro.
abstract: Chromium picolinate (CrPic) is a synthetic nutritional supplement primarily used for weight loss and muscle building. Recent studies have indicated that CrPic might be genotoxic and these findings together with the wide-spread consumer use, have increased the concern about its safety. In the present study we investigated the potential genotoxicity of CrPic in mice given a single intraperitoneal injection (up to 3 mg/kgb.wt.) by evaluating the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (fMNPCE) in peripheral blood, and DNA damage in lymphocytes and hepatocytes. The fMNPCE was evaluated after 42 h and DNA damage after 16 h. Using the Comet assay DNA damage was also monitored in extended-term cultures of human lymphocytes and in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells that had been exposed for 3h to 500 microM CrPic under different exposure conditions. A slight, but significant CrPic-induced increase in DNA damage (P<0.001) was observed in the human lymphocytes, but only when these cells were exposed in the absence of serum. In all other experiments CrPic was found to be without genotoxic effects, both in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, our results suggest that a high concentration of CrPic might be DNA damaging, but only under non-physiological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division of Toxicology, Box 594, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Kierstin V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Petersson Grawé
authors.forename: Oskar M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Lilianne A G
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Abramsson-Zetterberg
authors.forename: Björn E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Hellman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007940:Leukemia L5178; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000139:chemically induced; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D010848:Picolinic Acids / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D010848:Picolinic Acids; C030614:picolinic acid