Mutagenesis Advance Access originally published online on November 23, 2005
Mutagenesis 2006 21(1):21-27; doi:10.1093/mutage/gei065
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The protective effect of L-carnitine in peripheral blood human lymphocytes exposed to oxidative agents
Laboratory of Molecular Cytogenetic and Mutagenesis, DABAC, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Via S.Camillo de Lellis, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy and 1Direzione scientifica SIGMA-TAU, Via Pontina Km. 30, 400, I-00040 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
Literature data indicate L-carnitine (LC), a trans-mitochondrial carrier of acetyl and long chain groups, as an agent possessing protective effects against oxidative stress in mammalian cells. However, the major factor involved in the protective mechanism is not known. The protection activity exerted by this agent against reactive oxygen species induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and t-butylhydroperoxide (t-butyl-OOH) treatment in isolated human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) has been studied. Human lymphocytes cells were isolated and pre-incubated with 5 mM LC before H2O2 (100 µM) and t-butyl-OOH (400 µM) treatment. The protective effect of LC on treated PBLs was measured by single cell gel electrophoresis and the analysis of chromosomal aberrations. Results show that LC treated cells exhibited a significant decrease in the number of oxidative induced single-strand breaks and chromosomal aberrations.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed at Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Via San Camillo De Lellis, 01100, Viterbo, Italy. Tel: +39 0761 357206; Fax: +39 0761 357242; Email: palitti{at}unitus.it