title: Evaluation of the DNA damaging effects of amitraz on human lymphocytes in the Comet assay.
abstract: Amitraz is formamidine pesticide widely used as insecticide and acaricide. In veterinary medicine, amitraz has important uses against ticks, mites and lice on animals. Also, amitraz is used in apiculture to control Varroa destructor. It this study, the alkaline Comet assay was used to evaluate DNA damaging effects of amitraz in human lymphocytes. Isolated human lymphocytes were incubated with varying concentrations of amitraz (0.035, 0.35, 3.5, 35 and 350 mu g/mL). The Comet assay demonstrated that all concentrations of amitraz caused statistically significant increase in the level of DNA damage, thus indicating that amitraz possesses genotoxic potential. The concentration of amitraz that produced the highest DNA damage (3.5 mu g/mL) was chosen for further analysis with the antioxidant catalase. The obtained results showed that co-treatment with antioxidant catalase (100 IU/mL or 500 IU/mL) significantly reduced the level of DNA damage, indicating the possible involvement of reactive oxygen species in DNA damaging effects of amitraz. Flow cytometric analysis revealed increase of the apoptotic index following treatment with amitraz. However, co-treatment with catalase reduced the apoptotic index, while treatment with catalase alone reduced the percentage of apoptotoc cells even in comparison with the negative control. Therefore, catalase had protective effects against ROS-mediated DNA damage and apoptosis.
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Milena
authors: M
authors: Radakovic
authors: Jevrosima
authors: J
authors: Stevanovic
authors: Ninoslav
authors: N
authors: Djelic
authors: Nada
authors: N
authors: Lakic
authors: Jelena
authors: J
authors: Knezevic-Vukcevic
authors: Branka
authors: B
authors: Vukovic-Gacic
authors: Zoran
authors: Z
authors: Stanimirovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002374:Catalase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020552:Comet Assay; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D014052:Toluidines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D007306:Insecticides; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014052:Toluidines; C014983:amitraz; D002374:Catalase
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