Possible modulating actions of plant extracts on the chromosome breaking activity of MMC and Ara-C in human lymphocytes in vitro

• Published in: Toxicology in vitro 2004-10, Vol.18 (5), p.617-622
• Main Authors: Roncada, T, Vicentini, V.E.P, Mantovani, M.S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Achillea - chemistry; Achillea millefolium; Adolescent; Adult; Antimutagenic Agents - pharmacology; Cells, Cultured; Chromosome Breakage; Clastogenicity; Cytarabine - toxicity; Cytosine-β-arabin-furanoside; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Combinations; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Female; Human lymphocytes; Humans; Lymphocytes - drug effects; Male; Mitomycin - toxicity; Mitomycin C; Mutagens - toxicity; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Psidium - chemistry; Psidium guajava
• ISSN: 0887-2333; 1879-3177
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2004.02.007

Plants popularly used as medicine have been seen as promising natural agents by the pharmaceutical industry. In the present study the action of Psidium guajava L. ( Pg) and Achillea millefolium L. ( Am) infusions on chromosomal aberration formation in human lymphocyte system in vitro was assessed, associating them with the alkylating agent mitomycin C (MMC) and the DNA repair inhibitor cytosine-β-arabin-furanoside (Ara-C). The cells were cultivated for 72 h and treated continuously with Pg and the Am infusions at dosages of 2.62 × 10 −4 g and 3.5 × 10 −4 g/ml culture medium, respectively. Treatments with MMC (0.30 μg/ml) or Ara-C (5 × 10 −7 μg/ml) were administered after 48 h of cell culture. Each samples (five individual) were exposed to nine treatments (control with PBS; Pg; Am; MMC; MMC + Pg; MMC + Am; Ara-C; Ara-C + Pg; and Ara-C + Am) and 100 cells were analyzed per cell culture. The used doses of each infusion did not cause clastogenic effects significantly different to the negative control (control=1%; Pg=2.2%; Am=1.8%). Nevertheless, the aberrant cell frequency after MMC treatment was significantly increased by the Am infusion (MMC=32.4%; MMC + Pg=36.2%; MMC + Am=44%), especially when the chromatid break types number was scored (MMC=151; MMC + Pg=173; MMC + Am=249). Regarding DNA repair inhibition by Ara-C, the Pg infusion caused a significant reduction in aberrant cell frequency (Ara-C=15.8%; Ara-C + Pg=11%; Ara-C + Am=14.4%), only when the chromatid break types number was scored (Ara-C=63; Ara-C + Pg=40; Ara-C + Am=58). These results indicate that the plant infusions per se do not have clastogenic activity, but can influence the clastogenic action of MMC and Ara-C on DNA break induction, in vitro.