Effects of Lanthanum on Human Lymphocytes Viability and DNA Strand Break

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology 2009-04, Vol.82 (4), p.423-427
• Main Authors: Paiva, Amanda V, de Oliveira, Monica S, Yunes, Samira N, de Oliveira, Leonardo G, Cabral-Neto, Januário B, de Almeida, Carlos Eduardo B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Aquatic Pollution; Carcinogens - toxicity; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cells; Cytotoxicity; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA Damage - drug effects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Antagonism; Drug Combinations; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Pollutants - classification; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Humans; Jurkat Cells; Lanthanides; Lanthanum; Lanthanum - classification; Lanthanum - toxicity; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes - drug effects; Lymphocytes - pathology; Metals; Mutagens - toxicity; Necrosis - chemically induced; Oxidative stress; Pollution; Soil Science & Conservation; Toxicology; Vitamin E - pharmacology; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-008-9596-1

Lanthanum (La) is a rare-earth metal with applications in agriculture, industry, and medicine. Since lanthanides show a broad spectrum of applications there is an increased risk of contamination for humans. We examined the effects of lanthanum in Jurkat cells and human peripheral lymphocytes (HPL), and we found that it was cytotoxic and genotoxic on both cell lines. Additionally, HPL were more sensitive to La treatment than Jurkat cells and necrosis was the pathway by which La induced cytotoxicity. Vitamin E was able to diminish the DNA strand breaks induced suggesting that oxidative stress may be involved in the genotoxic process.