Tanveer Beg

Antigenotoxic effects of ascorbic acid against megestrol acetate-induced genotoxicity in mice

The genotoxicity of megestrol acetate was studied in mouse bone marrow cells using sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and chromosomal aberrations (CAs) as parameters. Megestrol acetate (8.12, 16.25 and 32.50 mg/ kg of body weight) was injected intraperitoneally separately in different groups of animals. Both CAs and SCEs were statistically increased at 16.25 and 32.50 mg/kg of body weight. Our earlier in vitro studies show the generation of free oxygen radicals, by synthetic progestins responsible for the genotoxic damage. As the genotoxic effects of steroids can be reduced by natural products having antioxidant properties, and ascorbic acid possesses antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid (20, 40 or 60 mg/kg of body weight) administered together with megestrol acetate (32.50 mg/kg of body weight) significantly decreased CAs and SCEs, suggesting an antigenotoxic role of ascorbic acid against megestrol acetate induced genotoxic damage in mice bone marrow cells. The antigenotoxic effect was clearly dose dependent. The highest protective effect was observed at 60 mg/kg body weight of ascorbic acid treated with 32.50 mg/kg body weight of megestrol acetate.

Assessment of cell viability, lipid peroxidation and quantification of DNA fragmentation after the treatment of anticancerous drug mitomycin C and curcumin in cultured human blood lymphocytes.

Mitomycin C (MMC) is an antineoplastic agent used to fight a number of different cancers including cancer of the stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, breast, lung, uterus, cervix, bladder, head, neck, eye and oesophagus. It is a potent DNA cross-linker. The prolonged use of the drug may result in permanent bone marrow damage and other various types of secondary tumors in normal cells. The toxic effect of anticancerous drugs may be reduced if supplemented with natural antioxidants/plant products. With this view, the effect of 5, 10 and 15 microM of curcumin was studied against the genotoxic doses of MMC, i.e. 10 and 20 microM, in cultured human lymphocytes using cell viability, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage quantification as parameters. The treatment of curcumin with MMC results in a significant dose-dependent increase in cell viability and decrease in lipid peroxidation and DNA damage suggesting a protective role of curcumin against the anticancerous drug mitomycin C.

Antigenotoxic effect of apigenin against anti-cancerous drugs

Mitomycin C and cyclophosphamide are well known anti-tumor drugs. Their genotoxic effects are well established in various test systems. The genotoxic effects in non-tumor cell are of special significance due to the possibility that they may induce secondary tumors in cancer patients. Apigenin is a well known anti-oxidant and possess number of properties that are beneficial in some way to humans. With this view, the present study deals with the effect of apigenin against the genotoxic doses of mitomycin C and cyclophosphamide using chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges and cell cycle kinetics as a parameters. The treatment of apigenin results in a significant, dose dependent decrease in the genotoxic damage, induced by mitomycin C and cyclophosphamide. It is concluded that the apigenin is potent in reducing the genotoxic damage, induced by anti-cancerous drugs, thereby reducing the chances of developing secondary tumors during the therapy.

Anticlastogenic effect of apigenin in human lymphocytes treated with ethinylestradiol

In the present study the antigenotoxic effect of apigenin was studied against a genotoxic dose of ethinylestradiol using the damage parameters of chromosomal aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and cell cycle kinetics (CCK). Human peripheral blood lymphocytes were cultured and treated with 10 microM of ethinylestradiol along with doses of 5, 10, 15 and 20 microM of apigenin. A clear decrease in the genotoxic damage induced by ethinylestradiol was observed with increasing doses of apigenin, suggesting a protective role for apigenin during ethinylestradiol therapy.

Protective effect of ascorbic acid against oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the reactive oxygen species for cellular injury. It is overproduced during oxidative stress and is known to damage proteins, nucleic acids and cell membranes. The present study was aimed to study the protective effect of ascorbic acid against the toxic doses of hydrogen peroxide using lipid peroxidation and cytokinesis blocked micronucleus assay. Hydrogen peroxide was studied at 50, 100 and 200μM and was found to increase a dose dependent increase in lipid peroxidation and micronuclei frequency. The treatment of 100 and 200μM of hydrogen peroxide separately along with 20, 40 and 80μM of ascorbic acid showed a dose dependent decrease in the lipid peroxidation and micronuclei frequency. The results suggest a protective effect of ascorbic acid against the hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative damage in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Gene Diversity among Some Muslim Populations of Western Uttar Pradesh,India

Abstract The present paper deals with the distribution of ABO, Rh (D) and PTC tasting ability markers to study the genetic structure and microdifferentiation among Muslim populations of Aligarh.We have undertaken a survey of the allele frequencies of the ABO, Rh (D) and PTC tasting ability for different endogamous Muslim groups viz. Syed, Sheikh, Pathan, Ansari and Shia. For ABO only Pathan and Ansari showed significant differences in allele frequencies, while other combinations showed non-significant values. For the Rh (D) factor, Syed and Sheikh showed the least different values. All the populations showed non-significant differences for the marker PTC tasting ability. The average of the DST and GST values for the three markers were found to be 0.020 and 0.035, respectively. The Pathan and Ansari populations separate earlier than the sheikh, as well as Syed and Shia cluster which might have been the migrants to Indian population from outside quite later.

Antigenotoxic effect of allicin against estradiol-17β-induced genotoxic damage in cultured mammalian cells

Antigenotoxic activity of allicin, one of the sulphur compounds of garlic (Allium sativum) which possesses antioxidant and thiol disulphide exchange activity, was studied against estradiol-17β-induced genotoxic damage using chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) as parameters. Approximately 10, 20 and 40 µM of estradiol-17β was tested for its genotoxic effect in the presence of metabolic activation and was found to be genotoxic at 20 and 40 µM. Approximately 20 µM of estradiol-17β was treated along with 5, 10 and 15 µM of allicin, separately, in the presence of metabolic activation. Similar treatments were given with 40 µM of estradiol-17β. Treatments along with allicin result in the reduction of CAs and SCEs, suggesting its anti-genotoxic activity in human lymphocytes in vitro against estradiol-17β-induced genotoxic damage.

Antigenotoxic effect of the Plumbago zeylanica extract against the genotoxic damage induced by potassium canrenoate in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

In India, natural preparations derived from the plants are widely use for the treatments of various diseases. Hence, it becomes necessary to assess the modulating action of the plant extract when associated with other substances. Potassium canrenoate (PC) is a synthetic steroid and is used in the treatment of hypertension. It is not only a genotoxic agent, but also a tumor-initiating agent. In the present study, the effect of various doses (i.e., 5, 10, 20, and 30 µM) of PC were studied for their genotoxic effects in the presence of S9 mix in cultured human lymphocytes, using mitotic index, chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges, and replication index as parameters. PC was found to be genotoxic at 20 and 30 µM. Treatment of 30 µM of PC was given along with different doses of Plumbago zeylanica extract (i.e., 107.5, 212.5, 315, and 417 µg/mL) of the culture medium. A dose-dependent decrease in the genotoxic effects of PC was observed. The result suggested that the plant extract per se does not have genotoxic potential, but can modulate the genotoxicity of PC in cultured human lymphocytes.

Effect of Centella asiatica L. extract against ethinylestradiol induced genotoxic damage on cultured human lymphocytes

In the present study the effect of Centella asiatica L. extract was studied against the genotoxic doses of ethinylestradiol on human lymphocytes culture. The different doses of C. asiatica L. extract i.e. 1.075×10-4, 2.125×10-4 and 3.15×10-4 g/ml were treated separately with 5 μM of ethinylestradiol. Similar treatments were given with 10 μM of ethinylestradiol. The treatments result in a significant dose dependent decrease in chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges on human lymphocyte cultures induced by 5 and 10 μM of ethinylestradiol. The selected doses of C. asiatica L. extract were not genotoxic itself. Hence it is concluded that C. asiatica L. extract reduced the genotoxic damage during the ethinylestradiol therapy in patients and thereby reducing the chances of cancer development in humans.

Gene diversity and biochemical markers among some Muslim populations of Uttar Pradesh.

A sample of 312 individuals belonging to Sheikh (80), Pathan (54), Ansari (82), Syed (33), Saifi (33) and Hindu Bania (30) populations were surveyed for four protein and three enzyme loci comprising 12 alleles. The markers used were protein (transferrin, haptoglobin, haemoglobin) and enzyme (lactate dehydrogenase, phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, adenylate kinase). Except caeruloplasmin, variants were found among all loci, though no rare variant appears. The populations show genetic equilibrium for all of the loci. Our gene frequencies show some difference from earlier studies for Muslims in general, there being no biradari wise study among Sunni Muslims earlier done anywhere in India or abroad. Heterozygosity ranged from 0.0123 to 0.1994 (Sheikh), 0.0182 to 0.2046 (Pathan), 0.0239 to 0.1844 (Ansari), 0.0587 to 0.3966 (Syed), 0 to 0.3909 (Bania); the average DST and GST values for the seven marker loci were 0.001032 and 0.00879, respectively. The results are discussed. The gene frequency study shows closer relationship of Ansaris and Saifis with native Hindu Banias, and may reflect on their probable conversion in the not remote past.