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Mutagenesis Advance Access originally published online on February 6, 2007
Mutagenesis 2007 22(2):123-127; doi:10.1093/mutage/gel062
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the UK Environmental Mutagen Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

In vitro susceptibilities in lymphocytes from mothers and cord blood to the monofunctional alkylating agent EMS

NP Wyatt, C Falque-Gonzalez, D Farrar1, D Tuffnell1, D Whitelaw2, LE Knudsen3 and D Anderson*

School of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK 1Maternity Department 2Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Bradford Royal Infirmary, UK 3Center for Health and Society, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

It has been reported that children may experience different levels of chemical exposures than adults and that their sensitivities to chemical toxins may be increased or decreased when compared to adults. The perinatal period is one period in which these susceptibilities may be examined. Midwives at the Bradford Royal Infirmary collected venous blood samples from mothers at the time of birth and venous cord blood post-delivery. Lymphocytes were isolated from both blood types and examined in the alkaline comet assay using the monofunctional alkylating agent ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS). There were no biologically significant differences when subjects were categorized into subgroups based on lifestyle habits and physical characteristics, and overall there were no statistically significant differences in levels of DNA damage in mothers (n = 22) and babies (n = 22), except at the basal level (P < 0.05), but mean values in babies were always lower over the EMS dose range. Whole blood was used in the micronucleus (MN) assay, and there was a significantly (P < 0.05) higher rate of MN in mothers (n = 17), per 1000 binucleates, as compared with lymphocytes from their offspring (n = 17) at the basal level. This may be accounted for by age and endogenous factors. Overall, this current study cannot provide statistically significant evidence that children have either increased or decreased levels of susceptibility to a chemical toxin in comparison to adults when EMS is examined in vitro.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +44 1274 233579; Fax: +44 1274 309742; Email: d.anderson1{at}bradford.ac.uk

Received on July 3, 2006; revised on October 25, 2006; accepted on November 9, 2006.


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