• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.177-186
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• 2013

The use of nanoparticles (NPs) in industry is increasing, bringing with it a number of adverse health effects on workers. Like other chemical carcinogens, NPs can cause cancer via oxidative DNA damage. Of all the molecules vulnerable to oxidative modification by NPs, DNA has received the greatest attention, and biomarkers of exposure and effect are nearing validation. This review concentrates on studies published between 2000 and 2012 that attempted to detect oxidative DNA damage in humans, laboratory animals, and cell lines. It is important to review these studies to improve the current understanding of the oxidative DNA damage caused by NP exposure in the workplace. In addition to examining studies on oxidative damage, this review briefly describes NPs, giving some examples of their adverse effects, and reviews occupational exposure assessments and approaches to minimizing exposure (e.g., personal protective equipment and engineering controls such as fume hoods). Current recommendations to minimize exposure are largely based on common sense, analogy to ultrafine material toxicity, and general health and safety recommendations.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.258-263
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• 2013

We demonstrate herein that silibinin, a polyphenolic flavonoid compound isolated from milk thistle (Silybum marianum), inhibits LPS-induced activation of macrophages and production of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells. Western blot analysis showed silibinin inhibits iNOS gene expression. RT-PCR showed that silibinin inhibits iNOS, TNF-${\alpha}$, and $IL1{\beta}$. We also showed that silibinin strongly inhibits p38 MAPK phosphorylation, whereas the ERK1/2 and JNK pathways are not inhibited. The p38 MAPK inhibitor abrogated the LPS-induced nitrite production, whereas the MEK-1 inhibitor did not affect the nitrite production. A molecular modeling study proposed a binding pose for silibinin targeting the ATP binding site of p38 MAPK (1OUK). Collectively, this series of experiments indicates that silibinin inhibits macrophage activation by blocking p38 MAPK signaling.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.683-687
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• 2010

Previous studies have shown that one of the primary causes of increased iron content in the brain may be the release of excess iron from intracellular iron storage molecules such as ferritin. Free iron generates ROS that cause oxidative cell damage. Carnosine and related compounds such as endogenous histidine dipetides have antioxidant activities. We have investigated the protective effects of carnosine and homocarnosine against oxidative damage of DNA induced by reaction of ferritin with $H_2O_2$. The results show that carnosine and homocarnosine prevented ferritin/$H_2O_2$-mediated DNA strand breakage. These compounds effectively inhibited ferritin/$H_2O_2$-mediated hydroxyl radical generation and decreased the mutagenicity of DNA induced by the ferritin/$H_2O_2$ reaction. Our results suggest that carnosine and related compounds might have antioxidant effects on DNA under pathophysiological conditions leading to degenerative damage such as neurodegenerative disorders.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.249-253
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• 1995

The nonenzymatic glycation of copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) led to inactivation and fragmentation of the enzyme. The glycated Cu,zn-SOD was isolated by boronate affinity chromatography. The formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) in calf thymus DNA and the generation of strand breaks in pBhiescript plasmid DNA by a metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) system composed of $Fe^{3+}$, $O_2$, and glutathione (GSH) as an electron donor was enhanced more effectively by the glycated CU,Zn-SOD than by the nonglycated enzyme. The capacity of glycated Cu,Zn-SOD to enhance damage to DNA was inhibited by diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DETAPAC), azide, mannitol, and catalase. These results indicated that incubation of glycated CU,Zn-SOD with GSH-MCO may result in a release of $Cu^{2+}$ from the enzyme. The released $Cu^{2+}$ then likely participated in a Fenton-type reaction to produce hydroxyl radicals, which may cause the enhancement of DNA damage.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.213-217
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• 2006

The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that dietary antioxidants protect DNA damage induced by peroxynitrite, a potent physiological inorganic toxin. The present study showed that dietary antioxidants such as (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, quercerin, rutin, resveratrol, and ursolic acid inhibit single strand breaks in supercoiled plasmid DNA induced by 3-morpholinosydnomine N-ethylcarbamide (SIN-1), a generator of peroxynitrite through the reaction between nitric oxide and superoxide anion. The formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) in calf thymus DNA by SIN-1 was also inhibited by dietary antioxidants. When U937 cells were incubated with 1 mM SIN-1 bolus, a significant increase of 8-OH-dG level was observed. However, oxidative DNA damage was significantly lower in the cells pre-treated with dietary antioxidants when cells were exposed to SIN-1.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.346-351
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• 2003

Single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) was used to detect DNA single strand break in blood cells from several marine fish species. Three fish species were collected from Georgia coastal area. Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus showed higher DNA damage than sea bass, Lateolabrax japonicus and trout, Oncorhynchus masou masou under the same experimental conditions. Mummichogs had more alkaline-labile sites on their DNA than other fish species. The comet assay with mummichog blood cells at pH 12.5 showed a dose-response curve with the increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. While the isolated leucocytes showed no increase of DNA damage after in vitro exposure to 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MNQ), erythrocytes showed dose-dependent DNA damage. These results indicate that the comet assay can be applied successfully as a bioassay using erythrocyte for environmental monitoring.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.500-505
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• 2009

Anti-oxidative effect of Phellinus linteus (P. linteus) and red ginseng extracts on DNA damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated in this study. P. linteus (PLE) and red ginseng extracts (RGE) inhibited the breaking of E. coli ColE1 plasmid DNA strands as well as nuclear DNA of rat hepatocytes damaged by oxidative stress. In addition, a reaction mixture of PLE and RGE showed synergistic inhibitory effect against DNA damage. These results suggest that PLE and RGE have a cellular defensive effect against DNA damage induced by ROS.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.489-497
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• 2009

In this study, we evaluated and compared the protective effects of two major constituents, baicalein and baicalin, against oxidative DNA and cell damages caused by hydroxyl radical. Antioxidant properties were evaluated using DPPH and hydroxyl radicals scavenging assays and $Fe^{2+}$ chelating assay. ${\varphi}X$ 174 RFI plasmid DNA and intracellular DNA migration assay were used to evaluate the protective effect against oxidative DNA damage. Also, MTT and lipid peroxidation assays were used to evaluate their protective effects against oxidative cell damage. Both baicalein and baicalin prevented intracellular DNA and cells from oxidative damage caused by hydroxyl radical via antioxidant activities. Baicalein demonstrated a stronger antioxidant activity in scavenging DPPH radicals and chelating $Fe^{2+}$ while baicalin scavenged hydroxyl radicals more efficiently. The differences in the level of baicalein and baicalin pose a different pathological pathway for each. The antioxidant activity of baicalin was due to its ability to scavenge hydroxyl radical whilst baicalein was a stronger $Fe^{2+}$ chelator. Further investigation to compare the molecular mechanisms of antitumor activities of baicalein and baicalin is vital to anticancer research.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.516-522
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• 2005

The phosphorylation of C-terminal domain (CTD) of Rpb1p, the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II plays an important role in transcription and the coupling of various cellular events to transcription. In this study, its role in DNA damage response is closely examined in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, focusing specifically on several transcription factors that mediate or respond to the phosphorylation of the CTD. CTDK-1, the pol II CTD kinase, FCP1, the CTD phosphatase, ESS1, the CTD phosphorylation dependent cis-trans isomerase, and RSP5, the phosphorylation dependent pol II ubiquitinating enzyme, were chosen for the study. We determined that the CTD phosphorylation of CTD, which occurred predominantly at serine 2 within a heptapeptide repeat, was enhanced in response to a variety of sources of DNA damage. This modification was shown to be mediated by CTDK-1. Although mutations in ESS1 or FCP1 caused cells to become quite sensitive to DNA damage, the characteristic pattern of CTD phosphorylation remained unaltered, thereby implying that ESS1 and FCP1 play roles downstream of CTD phosphorylation in response to DNA damage. Our data suggest that the location or extent of CTD phosphorylation might be altered in response to DNA damage, and that the modified CTD, ESS1, and FCP1 all contribute to cellular survival in such conditions.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.249-255
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• 2014

Polo-like kinase-1 (Plk1) belongs to a family of serine-threonine kinases and plays a critical role in mitotic progression. Plk1 involves in the initiation of mitosis, centrosome maturation, bipolar spindle formation, and cytokinesis, well-reported as traditional functions of Plk1. In this review, we discuss the role of Plk1 during DNA damage response beyond the functions in mitotsis. When DNA is damaged in cells under various stress conditions, the checkpoint mechanism is activated to allow cells to have enough time for repair. When damage is repaired, cells progress continuously their division, which is called checkpoint recovery. If damage is too severe to repair, cells undergo apoptotic pathway. If damage is not completely repaired, cells undergo a process called checkpoint adaptation, and resume cell division cycle with damaged DNA. Plk1 targets and regulates many key factors in the process of damage response, and we deal with these subjects in this review.