DNA Damage and Its Cellular Response in Mother and Fetus Exposed to Hyperglycemic Environment

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mimosa (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) prevents oxidative DNA damage induced by cadmium exposure in Wistar rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Damage and Loss Due to Ceratocystis fimbriata in Eucalyptus Wood for Charcoal Production

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influência do SNP T3801C CYP1A1 sobre os níveis de danos oxidativos no DNA de células da mucosa gástrica de pacientes infectados pelo H. Pylori

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common gastric pathogen that has infected more than 50% of the population of the world and it has been associated with chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcer, and gastric cancer. Although, almost all infected people develop gastritis, there is a variety of clinical outcomes, and only a minority (<1%) of infected individuals develop gastric cancer. There are evidences which suggest that the chronic inflammatory reaction caused by the bacterial infection may be involved in the production of reactive oxygen species or reactive nitrogen species. It may lead to DNA damage, which together with the cellular response could lead to gene mutations, chromosomal aberrations characterizing genomic instability that may represent the early step in gastric carcinogenesis. The extent and severity of gastric mucosal inflammation, as well as the clinical outcome of the infection, depend on a number of factors, including the host genetic susceptibility such SNP T3801 CYP1A1, immune response, age at which the infection was acquired, environmental factors, especially dietary and bacterial virulence factors. Due to the risk of developing gastric cancer in humans infected by H. pylori, we used the Comet Assay to investigate the influence of the SNP T3801C CYP1A1 on levels of oxidative DNA damage in gastric epithelial cells. The study was conducted with biopsies from the gastric antrum and corpus of 103 H. pylori-infected patients and 24 uninfected control patients. Genotype of SNP T3801C CYP1A1 was determined by PCR-RFLP and DNA damage levels were measured in gastric mucosal cells from antrum and corpus by the Comet assay. Levels of DNA damage in gastric mucosa cells from antrum and corpus of H. pylori-infected patients with mild, moderate, severe gastritis, and gastric cancer were significantly higher compared to uninfected normal mucosa cells. However, levels... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Avaliação gastroprotetora da epicatequina e verificação de seus mecanismos de ação

The stomach is an exceptional organ, which functions are sterilize food ingested, form the primitive bolus, digest lipids and proteins, and to store food temporarily in the gastrointestinal tract. Its capacity of digesting food without digesting itself is amazing. This fact occurs due to innumerous protective substances adjacent to the gastric mucosa. When aggressive factors overwhelm the protective factors, a lesion in the gastric mucosa is formed. Lesions that reach the lamina propria are called gastric ulcers, which are classified macroscopically as openings on the gastric wall and; microscopically, as a gastric injury characterized with epithelial desquamation, mucosal hemorrhage, glandular damage and eosinophilic infiltration. The current therapy available is effective, although it causes collateral effects, therefore researching new drugs is necessary. This work aim to evaluate the gastroprotective effect of epicatechin against gastric lesions induced by absolute ethanol and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which are the main causes of this disease currently, yet we aim to study the main mechanisms of action responsible for the gastroprotective effect. The results show that epicatechin has a significant macroscopic and microscopic gastroprotective effect against gastric injuries induced by ethanol and indomethacin, acting locally by augmenting gastric mucus secretion and it also acts via antioxidant system by holding total glutathione levels. Epicatechin’s gastroprotective mechanisms depend on the activation of sulfhydryl compounds and doesn’t depend on the NO-synthase enzyme

Análise multielementar pela técnica de fluorescência de raios-X de amostras de cólon de roedores com colite e tratados com prednisolona

Pós-graduação em Biologia Geral e Aplicada - IBB

Impaired protamination and sperm DNA damage in a Nellore bull with high percentages of morphological sperm defects in comparison to normospermic bulls

The routine semen evaluation assessing sperm concentration, motility and morphology, does not identify subtle defects in sperm chromatin architecture. Bulls appear to have stable chromatin, with low levels of DNA fragmentation. However, the nature of fragmentation and its impact on fertility remain unclear and there are no detailed reports characterizing the DNA organization and damage in this species. The intensive genetic selection, the use of artificial insemination and in vitro embryo production associated to the cryopreservation process can contribute to the chromatin damage and highlights the importance of sperm DNA integrity for the success of these technologies. Frozen-thawed semen samples from three ejaculates from a Nellore bull showed high levels of morphological sperm abnormalities (55.8±5.1%), and were selected for complementary tests. Damage of acrosomal (76.9±8.9%) and plasma membranes (75.7±9.3%) as well as sperm DNA strand breaks (13.8±9.5%) and protamination deficiency (3.7±0.6%) were significantly higher compared to the values measured in the semen of five Nellore bulls with normospermia (24.3±3.3%; 24.5±6.1%; 0.6±0.5%; 0.4±0.6% for acrosome, plasma membrane, DNA breaks and protamine deficiency, respectively) (P<0.05). Motility and percentage of spermatozoa with low mitochondrial potential showed no differences between groups. This study shows how routine semen analyses (in this case morphology) may point to the length and complexity of sperm cell damage emphasizing the importance of sperm function testing.

Nitric oxide reduces oxidative damage induced by water stress in sunflower plants

Drought is one of the main environmental constraints that can reduce plant yield. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signal molecule involved in plant responses to several environmental stresses. The objective of this study was to investigate the cytoprotective effect of a single foliar application of 0, 1, 10 or 100 µM of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in sunflower plants under water stress. Water stressed plants treated with 1μM SNP showed an increase in the relative water content compared with 0 μM SNP. Drought reduced the shoot dry weight but SNP applications did not result in alleviation of drought effects. Neither drought nor water stress plus SNP applications altered the content of photosynthetic pigments. Stomatal conductance was reduced by drought and this reduction was accompanied by a significant reduction in intercellular CO2 concentration and photosynthesis. Treatment with SNP did not reverse the effect of drought on the gas exchange characteristics. Drought increased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline and reduced pirogalol peroxidase (PG-POD) activity, but did not affect the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). When the water stressed plants were treated with 10 μM SNP, the activity of PG-POD and the content of proline were increased and the level of MDA was decreased. The results show that the adverse effects of water stress on sunflower plants are dependent on the external NO concentration. The action of NO may be explained by its ability to increase the levels of antioxidant compounds and the activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes.

In vivo evaluation of the genetic toxicity of Rubus niveus Thunb. (Rosaceae) extract and initial screening of its potential chemoprevention against doxorubicin-induced DNA damage

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

DNA damage in BALB/c mice infected with Lacazia loboi and its relation to nutritional status

Background: Jorge Lobo's disease, also known as lacaziosis, is a cutaneous-subcutaneous mycosis with chronic evolution. It is caused by the fungus Lacazia loboi. Herein we report a study that relates the genotoxicity caused by L. loboi in isogenic mice with nutritional status, through a normal or restricted diet.Methods: DNA damage was assessed in the peripheral blood by the comet assay (tail intensity).Results: The results for leukocytes showed increases in the mean tail intensity in mice under dietary restriction, in infected mice under dietary restriction and in infected mice ingesting a normal diet.Conclusion: These results indicate that dietary restriction and L. loboi infection may increase DNA damage levels in mice, as detected by the comet assay.