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DNA damage in mouse lymphocytes exposed to curcumin and copper

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Abstract

Dietary polyphenolics, such as curcumin, have shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Some antioxidants cause DNA strand breaks in excess of transition metal ions, such as copper. The aim of this study was to evaluate thein vitro effect of curcumin in the presence of increasing concentrations of copper to induce DNA damage in murine leukocytes by the comet assay. Balb-C mouse lymphocytes were exposed to 50 μM curcumin and various concentrations of copper (10 μM, 100 μM and 200 μM). Cellular DNA damage was detected by means of the alkaline comet assay. Our results show that 50 μM curcumin in the presence of 100–200 μM copper induced DNA damage in murine lymphocytes. Curcumin did not inhibit the oxidative DNA damage caused by 50 μM H2O2 in mouse lymphocytes. Moreover, 50 μM curcumin alone was capable of inducing DNA strand breaks under the tested conditions. The increased DNA damage by 50 μM curcumin was observed in the presence of various concentrations of copper, as detected by the alkaline comet assay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Citogenética Genotoxicidad y Biomonitoreo, Instituto de Genética Humana “Dr. Enrique Corona Rivera”, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada # 950, Colonia Independencia, S.L., CP-44340, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

    Patricia Urbina-Cano, Lucina Bobadilla-Morales, Jorge R. Corona-Rivera, Rogelio Troyo-Sanromán & Alfredo Corona-Rivera

  2. Laboratorio de Neurofisiología, Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

    Mario A. Ramírez-Herrera & Maria L. Mendoza-Magaña

  3. Unidad de Citogenética, OPD Hospital Civil “Fray Antonio Alcalde”, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

    Alfredo Corona-Rivera

Authors
  1. Patricia Urbina-Cano
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  2. Lucina Bobadilla-Morales
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  3. Mario A. Ramírez-Herrera
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  4. Jorge R. Corona-Rivera
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  5. Maria L. Mendoza-Magaña
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  6. Rogelio Troyo-Sanromán
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  7. Alfredo Corona-Rivera
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Correspondence to Alfredo Corona-Rivera.

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Urbina-Cano, P., Bobadilla-Morales, L., Ramírez-Herrera, M.A. et al. DNA damage in mouse lymphocytes exposed to curcumin and copper. J Appl Genet 47, 377–382 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03194648

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03194648

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