title: In vitro genotoxicity assays to evaluate the role of vitamin A on arsenic in human lymphocytes.
abstract: Ground water contamination of arsenic in drinking water is a burning problem worldwide; especially in West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh. The main endeavor in this study was to assess the role of vitamin A (2.72 microM/7 ml culture), a naturally occurring antioxidant upon arsenic-induced genotoxicity; with respect to chromosomal aberrations (structural and numerical) and micronuclei. Whole blood cultures set for 72 h were exposed to test chemicals for a period of 24 h ahead of harvesting. Arsenic concentrations tested in the present study are 0.36, 0.72 and 1.4 microM/7 ml culture. Mitomycin C (MMC), the direct acting mutagen was used as positive control. Our data indicates that at concentrations tested, arsenic-induced increase in the mean frequencies of these genotoxic indices were diminished by vitamin A, indicating its protective role towards cells from arsenic exerted injury.
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India. avanigopalkrishnan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Avani
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity*; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014801:Vitamin A; D001151:Arsenic