title: Radioprotective effects of honeybee venom (Apis mellifera) against 915-MHz microwave radiation-induced DNA damage in wistar rat lymphocytes: in vitro study.
abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate the radioprotective effect of bee venom against DNA damage induced by 915-MHz microwave radiation (specific absorption rate of 0.6 W/kg) in Wistar rats. Whole blood lymphocytes of Wistar rats are treated with 1 microg/mL bee venom 4 hours prior to and immediately before irradiation. Standard and formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-modified comet assays are used to assess basal and oxidative DNA damage produced by reactive oxygen species. Bee venom shows a decrease in DNA damage compared with irradiated samples. Parameters of Fpg-modified comet assay are statistically different from controls, making this assay more sensitive and suggesting that oxidative stress is a possible mechanism of DNA damage induction. Bee venom is demonstrated to have a radioprotective effect against basal and oxidative DNA damage. Furthermore, bee venom is not genotoxic and does not produce oxidative damage in the low concentrations used in this study.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Mutagenesis Unit, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. ggajski@imi.hr
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gajski
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Garaj-Vrhovac
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*; D040421:Cell Phone; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001514:Bee Venoms; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents