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Pentachlorophenol and its derivatives induce oxidative damage and morphological changes in human lymphocytes (in vitro)

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Abstract

In this study, the effect of environmental toxins such as pentachlorophenol (PCP), tetrachlorocatechol (TeCC) and tetrachloroguaiacol (TeCG) on human peripheral blood lymphocytes was investigated. All the compounds studied increased the size and granularity of the lymphocytes in the concentrations range from 5 to 600 ppm. The PCP caused the strongest increase in the size of the cells, whereas lymphocytes granularity was more strongly increased by TeCC and PCP than by TeCG. The PCP and its derivatives in the concentrations range from 1 to 125 ppm significantly depleted ATP level. It was also observed that PCP most strongly decreased ATP content at its highest concentration of 125 ppm. Moreover, PCP caused the highest loss of lymphocytes viability in the concentrations range from 125 to 600 ppm. The TeCC in the concentrations of 1 and 5 ppm significantly increased the level of strand breaks in DNA, whereas lower damage was noted for PCP, and particularly for TeCG. The increase in carbonyl groups content was more strongly induced by TeCG and TeCC than by PCP in the concentrations range from 0.04 to 1 ppm; however, in a concentration of 5 ppm, all the compounds studied increased this parameter to a similar degree. DNA and protein damage was the most probably induced by free radical formation, as it was observed that all the compounds examined, and TeCC, in particular, were able of oxidize a fluorescent probe 6-carboxy-2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein in the concentrations range from 0.01 to 1 ppm.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Prof. Janusz Błasiak (Head of Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Łódź, Poland) for letting him use Eclipse fluorescence microscope for comet assay. This work was partly funded from costs of statutory investigation admitted for Department of Environmental Pollution Biophysics in the year of 2008.

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  1. Department of Environmental Pollution Biophysics, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16 St., 90-237, Łódź, Poland

    Jaromir Michałowicz

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Correspondence to Jaromir Michałowicz.

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Michałowicz, J. Pentachlorophenol and its derivatives induce oxidative damage and morphological changes in human lymphocytes (in vitro). Arch Toxicol 84, 379–387 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-010-0515-y

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