• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 1999

The alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay, called the comet assay, has been applied to the detection of DNA damage from a number of chemical and biological factors in vivo and in vitro. The comet assay is a novel method to assess DNA single-strand breaks, alkali-labile sites in individual cells. The effect of peach kernel extracts on radiation-induced DNA damage in human blood lymphocytes was evaluated by the SCGE assay. The lymphocytes, with or without pretreatment of the extracts, were exposed to 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 Gy of $^{60}Co$ gamma ray. Significantly increased tail moment, which was a marker of DNA strand breaks in the comet assay, showed an excellent dose-response relationship. The treatment of the peach kernel extracts reduced the DNA damage by 30 % in irradiated groups as compared to that in non-treated control groups. The result indicates that the extracts shows radioprotective effect on lymphocyte DNA when assessed by the comet assay.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2001

Agricultural pesticides may cause certain biological risks since they are widely used to eradicate pests. Agricultural disasters may arise even from the possibility of their synergistic interaction with other harmful enviromnetal factors. The effect of pesticide on radiation-induced DNA damage in human blood lymphocytes was evaluated by the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay. The lymphocytes, with or without pretreatment of the pesticide, were exposed to 0-2.0 Gy of $^60 CO$ gamma ray. Significantly increased tail moment, which was a marker of DNA strand breaks in SCGE assay, showed an excellent dose-response relationship. The present study confirms that the pesticide has the cytotoxic effect on lymphocytes and that it shows the synergistic interaction with radiation on DNA damage as well. The results may have a role of providing biological information necessary for the prevention of environmental disaster.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-20
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• 2001

The alkaline comet assay, employing a single-cell gel electrophoresis(SCGE), is a rapid, simple and sensitive technique for visualizing and measuring DNA damage leading to strand breakage in individual mammalian cells. The protecting effect of pretreatment with vitamin C and cysteine on the DNA damage of gamma ray was investigated in mice splenic lymphocytes. Vitamin C and cysteine were administered orally for five consecutive days before irradiation. Four week old ICR male mice were irradiated wish 3.5Gy of γ-radiation and were sacrificed 3 days later. Spleens were taken for DNA damage examination by Comet assay and the tail moments of DNA single -strand breaks in tole splenic lymphocytes were evaluated. The results show that pretreatment with vitamin C and cysteine were effective in protecting against DNA damage by gamma ray. Administration of antioxidants like vitamin C and cysteine to mice before irradiation was effective in reducing the tail moment of splenic lymphocytes DNA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.293-310
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• 1991

Clonorchis sinensis is a common parasite of man in Korea. Researches on the specific antigens of C. sinensis would be valuable not only because those elucidate the molecular characteristics of this fluke but also because it is applicable to immunodiagnosis. Although many monoclonal antibodies have been used in the field of parasite immunology, few articles on monoclonal antibodies against C. sinensis have been published so far. The aim of this study was to analyse C. sinensis antigens recognized by monoclonal antibodies, and to set up ELISA-inhibition test using C. sinensis specific monoclonal antibodies for improved specificity of immunodiagnostic tests. By fusion between spleen cells of the mice immunized with C. sinensis water-soluble crude adult worm antigens and plasmacytoma cells of mouse origin, 29 hybridoma clones secreting anti-C. sinensis monoclonal antibodies were made, and 8 clones among those were found specific. After cell cloning, isotypes of 6 selected specific monoclonal anti- bodies were determined to be IgGl, IgG2b and IgA. Four exposed antigenic determinants of natural infection were recognized by different specific monoclonal antibodies. By enzyme-immunoelectrotransfer blot, 10 KD, 34 KD antigenic determinants were found to be reacted with CsHyb 0714-20, CsHyb 0605-10 monoclonal antibodies, respectively, The antigenic determinant recognized by CsHyb 0714-20 monoclonal antibody was revealed to be located at the surface and parenchyme of a parasite by indirect immunoauorescent antibody technique, and those reacted with CsHyb 0605-10, CsHyb 0714-25 monoclonal antibodies were found at the parenchyme and intestine. The antigenic determinant reacted with CsHyb 0605-23 monoclonal antibody was found mainly around the uterine eggs. Four antigenic determinants recognized by specific monoclonal antibodies were all found to be present in the early eluted fractions of C. sinensis antigens separated by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. By conventional ELISA, 75% of clonorchiasis cases were found positive, but 7.1% of normal controls and 37.5% of paragonimiasis cases showed false positives. However, by ELISA-inhibition test using C. sinensis specific monoclonal antibody (CsHyb 0605-23), 77.1% of clonorchiasis cases were found positive, and there were no false positives in normal controls or paragonimiasis cases, indicating 100% specificity. The ELISA- inhibition test using monoclonal antibodies was found to have same sensitivity and definitely high specificity in comparison with conventional ELISA for serodiagnosis of human clonorchiasis.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.385-392
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• 2001

Environmental risk factors such as ionizing radiations, heavy metals, and pesticides can cause environmental disasters when they exist in excess. The increases in use of ionizing radiation and agricultural pesticide are somewhat related to the possibility of the disaster. The risk of radiation and pesticide was evaluated by means of the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay on the human blood lymphocytes. The lymphocytes were irradiated with $0{\sim}2.0Gy$ of $^{60}Co$ gamma ray. Another groups of lymphocytes were exposed to various concentrations of parathion. Significantly increased tail moment, which was a marker of DNA strand breaks in SCGE assay, showed a clear dose- or concentration-response relationship. Parathion of a recommended concentration for agricultural use ($1mg {\ell}^{-1}$ ) has a strong cytotoxic effect on lymphocytes, which is equivalent to damage induced by 0.1 Gy of ${\gamma}$-ray. Furthermore, $2mg{\ell}^{-1}$ of parathion can give rise to DNA damage equivalent to that induced by 0.25 Gy at which the radiation-induced damage can start to develop into clinical symptoms. The comparative results of this study can provide an experimental basis and biological information for the prevention of environmental disaster.