Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-02-06T09:39:55Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Rangel Moreira Silva - 2016.pdf: 3905320 bytes, checksum: 6b2881f7623815dc402d04f906727e47 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-02-06T09:40:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Rangel Moreira Silva - 2016.pdf: 3905320 bytes, checksum: 6b2881f7623815dc402d04f906727e47 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-06T09:40:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Rangel Moreira Silva - 2016.pdf: 3905320 bytes, checksum: 6b2881f7623815dc402d04f906727e47 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-30 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás - FAPEG / Myrciaria cauliflora (Mart), commonly known as “Jabuticaba” (Brazilian Grape) occurs in all of South America, especially in Brazil. This species presents medicinal properties and it is popularly used to treat diarrhea and respiratory diseases. It has already been proven several biological activities such as antioxidant, antimutagenic and anti-proliferative. The phytochemical analysis of M. cauliflora detected the presence of several compounds, including the ellagitannin pedunculagin. Due to the widespread use of this species for therapeutic and food purposes, this study aimed to evaluate the genotoxic, antigenotoxic, cytotoxic and anticytotoxic actions of the aqueous fraction (AF) and pedunculagin from M. cauliflora seed, by micronucleus (MN) test and the comet assay in mice bone marrow cells. In order to analyze AF and pedunculagin activities prior to CP’s toxic effects, the animals were co-, pre- and post-treated with these substances. The results showed that AF at 24 h treatment did not show genotoxic or cytotoxic effects in the MN test and comet assay. However, AF showed cytotoxic action, but did not show genotoxic effect at 120 h treatment in the MN test. In the comet assay it was able to significantly reduce the frequency of DNA breaks when compared to the negative control. In the evaluation of the antigenotoxic and anticytotoxic effects, it was observed that in all treatments, in both assays, AF and pedunculagin showed antigenotoxic and anticytotoxic activities, but in the post-treatment pedunculagin increased the cytotoxic effect of CP. In general, our results indicated that AF and pedunculagin were able to protect the mice bone marrow cells against DNA damage induced by CP in the MN test and comet assay. These findings indicated that AF and pedunculagin could be probable candidates for the development of new drugs. / Myrciaria cauliflora (Mart), comumente conhecida como jabuticaba, ocorre em toda América do Sul e especialmente no Brasil. Esta espécie apresenta propriedades medicinais e é popularmente usada para tratar diarreia e doenças respiratórias. A essa espécie já foram atribuídas várias atividades biológicas, tais como: antioxidante, antimutagênica e antiproliferativa. A análise fitoquímica de M. cauliflora detectou a presença de vários compostos, incluindo o elagitanino pedunculagina. Devido ao grande uso desta espécie para fins terapêuticos e alimentícios, este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as ações genotóxica, antigenotóxica, citotóxica e anticitotóxica da fração aquosa (FA) e do composto pedunculagina da semente de M. cauliflora pelo teste do micronúcleo e ensaio do cometa em células da medula óssea de camundongos. A fim de avaliar a atividade da FA e da pedunculagina frente aos efeitos genotóxicos da CP, os animais foram co, pré e pós-tratados com essas substâncias. Os resultados mostraram que a FA no tempo de 24 horas não apresentou efeitos genotóxico e citotóxico no teste do micronúcleo e no ensaio do cometa. No tempo de 120 horas, pelo teste do micronúcleo, a FA não mostrou ação genotóxica, porém exibiu efeito citotóxico e pelo ensaio do cometa, a frequência de quebras de DNA foi menor, quando comparada ao controle negativo. Na avaliação dos efeitos da antigenotoxicidade e anticitotoxicidade, em ambos os ensaios, a FA e a pedunculagina mostraram atividades antigenotóxica e anticitotóxica, porém, no pós-tratamento, o composto pedunculagina potencializou o efeito citotóxico da CP. De modo geral, nossos resultados indicaram que a FA e a pedunculagina foram capazes de proteger as células da medula óssea de camundongos contra os danos no DNA induzidos pela CP no teste do micronúcleo e no ensaio do cometa. Esses resultados indicaram que a FA e a pedunculagina podem ser prováveis candidatos para o desenvolvimento de novas drogas.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-02T13:54:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao completa Patricia Scotini Freitas.pdf: 380463 bytes, checksum: 593d35f67c31f8a091c16952ef946b32 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-04-27 / Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nïvel Superior / Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum is a vegetable very rich in anthocyanins which have strong antioxidant capacity and other potential health benefits and because of that is widely consumed in the world as medicinal plant In this work the mutagenic potential of the crude extract from this plant was studied in mice after acute treatment using the comet and micronucleus assay Animals were treated orally with three different concentrations of the extract (1000 1500 and 2000 mg/kg) Peripheral blood cells of Swiss mice were collected 4 and 24 hours after the treatment for the comet assay and 48 and 72 hours for the micronucleus test The results have shown that the extract of Vaccinium corymbosum did not induce statistically significant increases in the average number of damages to desoxyribonucleic acid in peripheral blood cells However a significant increase in the mean of the micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes was observed at three tested doses It is suggested that its consumption could be moderate until a definitive risk for humans is established / Vaccinium corymbosum é um vegetal muito rico em antocianinas que tem uma grande capacidade antioxidante e outros potenciais benefícios à saúde e por este motivo é altamente utilizado no mundo inteiro como planta medicinal Neste trabalho foi analisado o potencial mutagênico da administração aguda do extrato bruto de frutos desta planta em células de camundongos utilizando o ensaio cometa e o teste do micronúcleo Os animais foram tratados oralmente com três diferentes concentrações do extrato (1000, 1500 e 2000 mg/kg de peso corporal) Células do sangue periférico de camundongos foram coletados 4 e 24 horas após o tratamento para a realização do ensaio cometa e 48 e 72 horas para o teste do micronúcleo Os resultados mostraram que o extrato de Vaccinium corymbosum não induziu aumentos estatisticamente significativos de danos ao ácido desoxirribonucléico nas células de sangue periférico Entretanto o teste do micronúcleo evidenciou um aumento significativo na média de eritrócitos policromáticos micronucleados nas três concentrações testadas Sugere-se que o consumo deste extrato seja moderado até que seu risco definitivo para os seres humanos seja melhor estabelecido

The first cases of patients with pneumonia which grew into an acute respiratory distress syndrome and caused breathing problems began to appear in December 2019. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the cause of a global pandemic and it is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A complex interplay of factors is responsible for the progression of the disease. Some studies suggest that it promotes oxidative stress and thus may lead to oxidative damage to cells and DNA. The purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between oxidative DNA damage and a critical condition caused by COVID-19 using a comet assay technique. The basic principle of the used method consists in fixation of lymphocytes in an agarose gel, removal of the membrane and cytoplasm of cells, incubation with specific enzymes and electrophoresis. In the process of electrophoresis, negatively charged DNA fragments migrates towards the anode and the cell thus acquires the typical shape of a comet. Comets are visualized using the DNA intercalation dye ethidium bromide. We quantified single - strand breaks and oxidized pyrimidines and purines by using specific enzymes (modification of the method for detecting specific lesions). Results are reported as % tail DNA, thus the percentage of DNA in the...

The genotoxicological effects of five intra-peritoneal administered oestrogens (17β- oestradiol, daidzein, diethylstilboestrol, genistein, and equol), were examined. Male hooded- Lister rats were used to examine to what extent DNA damage occurred. The alkaline Comet assay was the chosen method used to assess double-strand DNA breakage by examining the Olive tail moment and %age tail DNA. Tissues from the testis, bone marrow, liver and blood were analysed after an 8-day duration of exposure. Statistically significant increases in DNA damage were observed in the testis with daidzein and in the blood with diethylstilboestrol. In addition, a further study was carried out to examine the effects of bulk and nanotised forms of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin and ibuprofen, in the Comet and micronucleus assays, on whole blood taken from prostate cancer patients or volunteers. These were used because it is known that the sensitivity of DNA to genotoxins can be heightened in patients with cancer. Patients’ and volunteers’ blood was cultured with either the bulk or nano-forms for 44 hours at 37°C, 5% CO2. Data were obtained for the Comet assay as above and the number of binucleated cells scored for the micronucelus assay. The results show the nanotised forms of the NSAIDs decreased the levels of strand breakage and lowered the numbers of micronuclei generated compared with their bulk forms. There was no clear difference between the sensitivity of the healthy controls and the prostate cancer patients, with only one individual showing evidence of heightened sensitivity.

Chronic inflammation is intimately linked with cancer development and progression and therefore reducing or eliminating inflammation represents a logical treatment and prevention strategy. Studies have shown that anti-inflammatory agents have anti-tumour effects in cancers, with reduced metastases and mortality. Current use of anti-inflammatory agents in the treatment and prevention of cancer is limited by their toxicity and side effects. The emerging field of nanotechnology allows the fundamental properties of a drug to be altered, creating a product with improved reactivity and bioavailability, leading to more targeted treatments and reduced dosage. In the present study, the genotoxic effects of three commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs; aspirin, ibuprofen and hydrocortisone, in their bulk and nano forms were evaluated on peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy donors using the comet assay and the micronucleus assay. In order to determine any anti-cancer effects, these agents were also tested in peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with haematological cancers. The glucocorticoid hydrocortisone was also evaluated for anti-oxidant capacity. Our results demonstrate that the nano versions of each drug produced a different response than the bulk counterpart, indicating that a reduction in particle size had an impact on the reactivity of the drug. Our results also indicate that the nano versions of each drug were less genotoxic than the bulk formulation, further emphasising the potential of nanoparticles as an improvement to current treatment options. We also found an anti-oxidant effect with hydrocortisone, with a more profound effect seen with the nano formulation.

The effect of coffee and cocoa on oxidative damage to macromolecules has been investigated in several studies, often with controversial results. This study aimed to investigate the effect of one-month consumption of different doses of coffee or cocoa-based products containing coffee on markers of DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in young healthy volunteers. Twenty-one volunteers were randomly assigned into a three-arm, crossover, randomized trial. Subjects were assigned to consume one of the three following treatments: one cup of espresso coffee/day (1C), three cups of espresso coffee/day (3C), and one cup of espresso coffee plus two cocoa-based products containing coffee (PC) twice per day for 1 month. At the end of each treatment, blood samples were collected for the analysis of endogenous and H2O2-induced DNA damage and DNA oxidation catabolites, while urines were used for the analysis of oxylipins. On the whole, four DNA catabolites (cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), 8-OH-2′-deoxy-guanosine, 8-OH-guanine, and 8-NO2-cGMP) were detected in plasma samples following the one-month intervention. No significant modulation of DNA and lipid damage markers was documented among groups, apart from an effect of time for DNA strand breaks and some markers of lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, the consumption of coffee and cocoa-based confectionery containing coffee was apparently not able to affect oxidative stress markers. More studies are encouraged to better explain the findings obtained and to understand the impact of different dosages of these products on specific target groups.

No / Genotoxic agents can interact with DNA in germ cells possibly resulting in a heritable trait (germline mutation). Thus, in vitro male germ cell tests, which can detect phase specificity of such agents, could be used by regulatory agencies to help evaluate the potential risk of mutation. The male germ cell system now has a well-established model for studying phase specificity using the STA-PUT velocity sedimentation. On treatment with genotoxic agents, differences in chemical structure and metabolic differences in types of male germ cell lead to differing susceptibilities to genotoxicity, so careful investigation is required for phase specificity. This can yield valuable information about the potential mechanisms involved in the genotoxicity responses and thus increase the significance of the findings. This is especially important because mutations induced in the germline could also affect future generations. In this chapter, we briefly review the field of the male germ cell DNA damage response.

Ever increasing applications of nanomaterials (materials with one or more dimension less than 100 nm) has raised awareness of their potential genotoxicity. They have unique physico-chemical properties and so could have unpredictable effects. Zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) are widely used in a number of commercial products. There are published studies indicating that some forms of these compounds may be photo-clastogenic in mammalian cells. What has not been investigated before is the effect of nanoparticles from these compounds in human germ cells. Thus the present study has examined their effects in the presence and absence of UV light in human sperm and compared responses to those obtained with human lymphocytes using the Comet assay to measure DNA damage. The effect of nanoparticles (40-70nm range) was studied in human sperm and lymphocytes in the dark, after pre-irradiation with UV and simultaneous irradiation with UV. The studies do provide some evidence that there are photo-genotoxic events in sperm and lymphocytes in the absence of overt toxicity. The cytotoxic and genotoxic potentials of ZnO and TiO2 as well as their effect on phosphotyrosine expression, were examined in the human epithelial cervical carcinoma cells (Hela cells). This was done to try and determine the underlying molecular events resulting from their exposure to ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles occurring at the same time as DNA is damaged. Concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity, and an increase in DNA and cytogenetic damage with increasing nanoparticle concentrations were reported in this study. Mainly for zinc oxide, genotoxicity was clearly associated with an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation. Nanotechnology has raced ahead of nanotoxicology and little is known of the effects of nanoparticles in human systems, let alone in diseased individuals. Therefore, the effects of TiO2 nanoparticles in peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with respiratory diseases (lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma) were compared with those in healthy individuals using genotoxic endpoints to determine whether there are any differences in sensitivity to nano-chemical insult between the patient and control groups. The results have shown concentration dependent genotoxic effects of TiO2 in both respiratory patient and control groups in the Comet assay and an increasing pattern of cytogenetic damage measured in the micronucleus assay without being statistically significant except when compared with the untreated controls of healthy individuals. Furthermore, modulation of ras p21 expression was investigated. Regardless of TiO2 treatment, only lung cancer and COPD patients expressed measurable ras p21 levels that showed modulation as the result of nanoparticle treatment. Results have suggested that both ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles can be genotoxic over a range of concentrations without either photoa-ctivation or being cytotoxic.

Oxidative stress is caused by overproduction and overaccumulation of ROS (reactive oxygen species). This state is responsible for cellular damage during unfavorable environmental conditions such as drought, low temperatures, salinity. In order to directly study oxidative stress at tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi) I used specific herbicides, MV (methyl viologen) and 3-AT (3- aminotriazole). There were several markers used for monitoring oxidative damage to cellular components: DNA damage detected by a comet assay, lipid peroxidation, carbonylated proteins and modification of activities of antioxidant enzymes CAT (catalase) and APX (ascorbate peroxidase). Fluorescent microscopy documented changes in a redox state of tobacco cells and a specific signal for peroxisomes was observed after treatment with higher concentrations of MV and 3-AT. Application of both herbicides caused significant DNA damage, while they worked in a different concentrations, MV in µM and 3-AT in mM. Another convincing oxidative stress marker for MV was protein carbonylation. The inhibition of antioxidant enzymes CAT and APX was less significant when compared to the effects of 3-AT. Decreasing membrane stability proved to be an universal oxidative stress marker for both herbicides. On the other hand, lipid...

Les zones côtières sont soumises à des pressions anthropiques multiples notamment de nature chimique qui peuvent faire peser un risque réel pour la pérennité des espèces aquatiques. Le bassin d’Arcachon, lagune macrotidale située sur la façade atlantique, est aussi le siège d’une activité ostréicole importante. Cependant depuis plusieurs années, les exploitations ostréicoles sont confrontées à une baisse de recrutement et une forte mortalité des naissains d’huître. La contamination chimique du milieu comme facteur pouvant contribuer aux effets observés sur les huîtres n’a pour l’instant pas été vérifiée. L’étude présentée ici porte sur l’évaluation, à travers différentes approches, de la toxicité potentielle de métaux et pesticides sur les stades précoces de développement de l’huître creuse C. gigas. Les réponses embryotoxiques, génotoxiques et l’expression de gènes d’intérêt ont été étudiés. Les différents pesticides (S-métolachlore, irgarol et diuron) et métaux (cuivre et cadmium) ont tout d’abord été testés séparément pour déterminer leur spectre d’effets et leur mode d’action. Il a été montré qu’une exposition des gamètes ou des embryons d’huître aux pesticides étudiés et au cuivre conduit à une augmentation des malformations larvaires et des dommages à l’ADN, une diminution du succès de fécondation et un impact sur la qualité de la descendance à des teneurs environnementales. Le cadmium, quant à lui, ne présente pas d’effet embryotoxique et génotoxique aux concentrations présentes dans le milieu aquatique. Les métabolites du métolachlore, ESA métolachlore et OA métolachlore sont retrouvés dans le bassin d’Arcachon à de plus fortes concentrations que le composé parent, cependant rien n’est actuellement connu sur les effets toxiques de ces métabolites. Il a été montré que ces métabolites sont moins embryotoxiques et génotoxiques sur les embryons et sur les spermatozoïdes d’huître que le métolachlore. Des variations dans l’expression des gènes impliqués dans les défenses antioxydantes sont observées pour les larves d’huître exposées au métolachlore et au métolachlore ESA. La toxicité d’un mélange de pesticides représentatifs de la contamination du bassin d’Arcachon en présence ou non de cuivre a ensuite été évaluée. L’exposition des embryons d’huître à ces mélanges conduit à des défauts de développement, des dommages à l’ADN et des modifications de l’expression des gènes impliqués majoritairement dans le stress oxydant. Finalement, une cartographie de la toxicité des sédiments du bassin d’Arcachon a été réalisée au cours des 4 saisons de l’année 2011 à l’aide du test embryolarvaire huître. Les sédiments d’Arguin présentent une faible toxicité quelle que soit la saison considérée. En revanche, les sédiments du Tès montrent un effet embryotoxique plus important au printemps et en été par rapport à la saison hivernale. L’ensemble de ce travail permet d’émettre l’hypothèse d’un risque chimique accru pour le développement des premiers stades de vie de huître creuse dans le bassin d’Arcachon. / The coastal areas are subject to multiple anthropogenic pressures including chemical pollution that can pose a real risk to the sustainability of aquatic species. The Arcachon Bay, macrotidal lagoon located on the French Atlantic coast, is the important ecosystem for oyster farming. But for several years, the oyster farms face lower recruitment and high mortality of oyster spat. Chemical contamination of the environment as a factor that may contribute to the observed effects on oysters has so far not been investigated.The present thesis aimed at evaluating through different approaches, of the potential toxicity of heavy metals and pesticides representative of the Arcachon Bay contamination on the early life stages of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. Embryotoxicity, genotoxicity and expression levels of eleven targeted genes were studied. Firstly, different pesticides (S-metolachlor, irgarol, and diuron) and metals (copper and cadmium) were separately tested to determine their spectrum of effects. It were shown that exposure of gametes and embryos of oyster to environmental concentrations of pesticides and copper increased developmental abnormalities and DNA damage, and reduced fertilization success and affected offpring quality. Cadmium, meanwhile, showed no embryotoxic and genotoxic effects at the concentrations found in the Arcachon Bay. Metabolites of metolachlor, metolachlor ESA and metolachlor OA, are found in the Arcachon Bay at higher concentrations than their parent compound. The results showed that these metabolites were less embryotoxic and genotoxic on oyster embryos and spermatozoa than metolachor. Significant changes in expression of genes involved in antioxidant defense were observed for oyster larvae exposed to metolachlor and metolachlor ESA. Toxicity of mixtures of pesticides representative of the Arcachon Bay contamination with and without copper was then evaluated. Exposures of oyster embryos to these mixtures lead to development defects, DNA damage and changes in the expression of genes involved mainly in oxidative stress responses. Finally, mapping of toxicity of sediments from the Arcachon Bay was conducted for four seasons of 2011 with the oyster embryo-larvae assay. Sediments collected from Arguin exhibited low toxicity, regardless any season. In contrast, sediments from Le Tès showed higher toxicity in spring and summer seasons compared to winter season.From this work, it can be hypothesized that chemical contamination of the Arcachon Bay represents a threat for oyster reproduction and development.