• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.466-471
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• 2008

Little is known about DNA-level and physiological levels for health assessments of stream or river environments. Recently, comet assay, so called Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis (SCGE) is introduced for assessments of DNA damage in the medical science, food science and mammal toxicology. The comet assay is known as a biomarker which is one of the best barometers in assessing the DNA damage by oxidative stress. In this study, we conducted the comet assay using sentinel species, Zacco platypus, as one of the pre-warning alarm systems for the aquatic ecosystem health assessments and also applied it to Gap Stream as a model system. Tail extent moments in the S1 and S2 were 5.20 and 9.90 respectively and the moment was 19.89 in the S3. Statistical ANOVA in the tail moments showed a significant difference (n=75, p<0.05) between S1 and S3. Also, the proportions of DNA in the tail were 14.47, 23.64, and $30.04{\mu}m$ in the upstream (control site), midstream, downstream sites, respectively. Our results in the downstream were accord with previous studies of individual-level, population-level, and community-level in Gap Stream. Our results suggest that the comet assay may be used as an important tool for diagnosing ecological health of aquatic ecosystems in the level of DNA.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.159-159
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• 2003

Comet assay is a potential monitoring tool because DNA strand breakage may be produced by a wide range of agents. The comet assay, also called the single-cell gell electrophoresis (SCGE) assay, is rapid and sensitive method for the detection of DNA damage in cells. This study was performed for the identification of DNA damage in the cells from flounders and clams exposed to PAHs. As a control experiments, flounder and clam cells were exposed to $H_2O$$_2$. The cells exposed to $H_2O$$_2$ were displayed a typical nuclei movement DNA damage of cells were significantly increased when the isolated cells from the blood of flounders and the tissue of clams were in vitro exposed to the different concentrations (5, 10, 50, 100 ppb) of five kinds of PAHs (benzo[a]pyrene, pyrene, fluoranthene, anthrancene, and phenanthrene). For the in vivo test, flounders and clams were exposed to the different concentrations of BaP for 4 days. The results showed that DNA strand breakage was effected by the concentration of BaP and the duration of exposure. In high concentration of BaP, the mean tail lengths of nuclei was longer than it In low concentration, while the mean size of head DNA decreased. In this research, both in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity of PAHs could be biomonitored by the comet assay. Especially, clams and flounders seem to be useful as materials for monitoring genotoxic damage by comet assay.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.126-132
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• 2009

The usage and types of chemicals are advancing, specializing, large-scaled increasing, and new chemical exposed workers are concerning to occupational disease. The generation of reactive oxygen in the body from carcinogen, mutation and DNA damage in cancer is protected by natural antioxidants (phytochemicals) with antimutagenic effect. There were many reports of ginsenoside Rb$_1$, Rg$_1$ grievances of the genetic mutation to suppress the effect confirm the genetic toxicity test with chromosomal aberration test and the Comet (SCGE) assay confirmed the suppression effect occurring chromosomal DNA damage. We had wanted to evaluate the compatibility and sensitivity between the chromosomal aberration (CA) test and the Comet assay. We used the CA test and Comet assay to evaluate the anti-genotoxicity of ginsenoside Rb$_1$ and Rg$_1$, in CHO-K1 (Chinese hamster ovary fibroblast) cell in vitro, composed negative control (solvent), positive control (benzo[a]pyrene), test group (carcinogen+variety concentration of ginsenoside) group. The positive control was benzo[a]pyrene (50 $\mu$M), well-known carcinogen, and the negative control was the 1 % DMSO solvent. The test group was a variety concentration of ginsenoside Rb$_1$, Rg$_1$ with 10$^{-8}$%, 10$^{-6}$%, 10$^{-4}$%, 10$^{-2}$%, 1%, 10%. In chromo-somal aberration test, we measured the number of cells with abnormally structured chromosome. In Comet assay, the Olive tail moment (OTM) and Tail length (TL) values were measured. The ratio of cell proliferation was increased 8.3% in 10$^{-8}$%, 10$^{-6}$%, 10$^{-4}$%, 10$^{-2}$%, 1%, 10% Rb$_1$ treated groups, and increased 10.4% in 10$^{-10}$%, 10$^{-8}$%, 10$^{-6}$%, 10$^{-4}$%, 10$^{-2}$%, 1% Rg$_1$ treated groups. In the CA test, the number of chromosomal aberration was decreased all the Rb$_1$ and Rg$_1$ treated groups. In the Comet assay, the OTM values were decreased in all the Rb$_1$ and Rg$_1$ treated groups. To evaluate the compatibility between CA and Comet assay, we compared the reducing ratio of chromosomal abnormalities with its OTM values, it was identified the antimutagenicity of ginsenoside, but it was more sensitive the CA test than the Comet assay. Ginsenoside Rb$_1$ and Rg$_1$ significantly decrease the number of cells with chromosomal aberration, and decrease the extent of DNA migration. Therefore, ginsenoside Rb$_1$, Rg$_1$ are thought as an antioxidant phytochemicals to protect mutagenicity. The in vitro Comet assay seems to be less sensitive than the in vitro chromosomal aberration test.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.181-188
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• 2002

We investigated the effect of Paeonia japonica (PJ) on radiation-induced oxidative damage to macromolecules in vitro and in vivo. The PJ reduced the tail moment (TM) which was a marker of DNA strand break in single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE; comet assay) in the human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Lipid peroxidation in the liver of the ICR mouse, measured as malondialdehyde (MDA), was also reduced by PJ administration. Ethanol fraction of PJ was more effective than polysaccharide fraction of that on reduction of TM in SCGE and lipid peroxidation. Also, Their activities to scavenge DPPH radicals and hydroxyl radicals were observed in vitro, and the activities were due to its ethanol fraction. It is plausible that scavenging of flee radicals by PJ extract may have played an important role in providing the protection against the radiation-induced damage. These results indicated that Paeonia japonica might be a useful radioprotector, especially since it is a relatively nontoxic natural product.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2003

The present study was attempted to investigate the antioxidant capacity of popular yellow-green vegetable juices (kale, Angelica keishei, carrot, small water dropwort) and to investigate the effect of vegetable juices on protecting oxidative damage to DNA in cultured Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells. Antioxidant capacity was analyzed by TRAP assay (Total radical-trapping antioxidant potential). Cellular DNA dmamage was measured by SCGE (single-cell gel electrophoresis, also known as comet assay. Cells incubated in medium with PBS (negative control) or with various concentration of the freeze dried green juices (25, 50, 100, 250 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) resuspended in PBS were treated with $H_2O_2$ (200 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) as an oxidative stimulus for 5 min at 4$^{\circ}C$. The physiological function of each vegetable juice on oxidative DNA damage was analyzed and expressed as tail moment (tail length X percentage migrated DNA in tail) . Kale juice had the highest TRAP value suggesting that kale has the highest antioxidant capacity followed by Angelica keishei, small water dropwort and carrot. Cells treated with $H_2O_2$ had extensive DNA damage compared with cells treated with PBS or pre-treated with vegetable juice extracts. All green juices inhibited $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage with kale being the most effective juice among the tested juices. These results indicate that green juice supplementation to CHL cells followed by oxidative stimulus inhibited damage to cellular DNA, supporting a protective effect against oxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen species. (Korean J Nutrition 36(1) : 24-31, 2003)

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.212-217
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• 2010

Soil pollution by heavy metals has become a significant environmental concern due to a variety of human activities. Specially toxicity caused by excessive mercury exposure is now being recognized as a widespread environmental problem and is continuing to attract a great deal of public concerns. The earthworms are very important animals that aerate the soil with their burrowing action and enrich the soil by decomposing organic matters. Especially the earthworm Eisenia fetida is routinely used in ecotoxicological studies. The levels of DNA damage in earthworms treated with HgCl2 and ionizing radiation were investigated in this study. Genotoxic effects were evaluated in the earthworm's coelomocytes using the comet assay (Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis; SCGE). The results showed that the mercury chloride and radiation were responsible for the genotoxic effects on earthworms. The level of DNA damage significantly increased after the treatment of mercury chloride combined with ionizing radiation. The combined treatment of $HgCl_2$ and ionizing radiation had a greater genotoxicity. This study is amenable to further study such as enzyme activation assay.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 2011

The single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay is a microelectrophoretic technique for assessments of DNA damage at the level of the individual eukaryotic cell. The SCGE assay, due to its simplicity, sensitivity and need of a few cells, has advantages compared to other genomic damage assays such as sister chromatid exchange, chromosomal aberration and micronucleus test. In this study, investigated were the levels of DNA damage and the repair kinetics in the coelomocytes of Eisenia fetida treated with HgCl2 and ionizing radiation by means of the SCGE assay. For detecting DNA damage and repair in coelomocytes, earthworms (E. fetida) were irradiated with six doses of ${\gamma}$-rays (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 50 Gy) and in vivo exposed to mercuric chloride at 0, 80 and 160 mg $kg^{-1}$ for 48 hours. Then the Olive tail moments were measured during 0~12 hours after irradiation and 0~72 hours after Hg treatment. The results showed that the more the oxidative stress was induced by mercury and radiation, the longer the repair time was required. Also, the results suggest that the SCGE assay may be used as an important tool for comparison of the sensitivity of different species to oxidative stresses.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2003

The present study was attempted to investigate and compare the antioxidant potency of several well-know flavonoids, antioxidant vitamin and commercially available popular beverages. The antioxidant potency was assessed by the effect on reducing oxidative DNA damage of human lymphocytes. Cellular oxidative DNA damage was measured by SCGE (single-cell gel electrophoresis), also known as comet assay. Lymphocytes were pre-treated for 30 minutes with wide ranges of doses of apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, myricetin, rutin, quercetin, $\alpha$-tocopherol (10,25,50,100,200,500,1000 $\mu$M) ,green tea extract or grape juice (10,50,100,250,500,1000 $\mu$g/mL) followed by a $H_2O$$_2$(100 $\mu$M) treatment for 5 min as an oxidative stimulus. The physiological function of each antioxidant substance on oxidative DNA damage was analyzed as tail moment (tail length $\times$ percentage migrated DNA in tail) and expressed as relative DNA damage score after adjusting by the level of control treatment. Cells treated with $H_2O$$_2$alone (positive control) had an extensive DNA damage compared with cells treated with phosphate buffered saline (PBS, negative control) or pre-treated with all the tested samples. Of all the six flavonoids, quercetin was the most potent antioxidant showing the lowest $ED_{50}$/ of 8.5 $\mu$g/mL (concentration to produce 50% protection of relative DNA damage). The antoxidant potency of individual flavonoids were ranked as follows in a decreasing order; luteolin (18.4 $\mu$g/mL), myricetin (19.0 $\mu$g/mL) , rutin (22.2 $\mu$g/mL) , apigenin (24,3 $\mu$g/mL) , kaempferol (25.5 $\mu$g/mL). The protective effect of $\alpha$-tocopherol was substantially lower (highest $ED_{50}$value of 55.0 $\mu$g/mL) than all the other flavonoids, while the protective effect was highest in green tea and grape juice with low ED5O value of 7.6 and 5.3, respectively. These results suggest that flavonoids, especially quercetin, and natural compounds from food product, green tea and grape juice, produced powerful anti-oxidative activities, even stronger than $\alpha$-tocopherol. Taken together, supplementation of antioxidants to lymphocytes followed by oxidative stimulus inhibited damage to cellular DNA, supporting a protective effect against oxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen species.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.95-96
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• 2001

The mutagenic and antimutagenic activities of catechin, hamamelitannin and two proanthocyanidin fractions prepared from the bark of Hamamelis virginia L. - a commonly used medicinal herb - were investigated in a human derived hepatoma (Hep G2) cell line using the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE, syn. Comet assay) for the detection of DNA-migration. The cells possess different phase I and phase II enzymes involved in the biotransformation of xenobiotics.(omitted)