Enhanced DNA damages of human prostate cancer cells induced by radiofrequency capacitive hyperthermia pre- and post X-rays: 6 MV versus 15 MV

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of 13.56 MHz radiofrequency [RF] capacitive hyperthermia [HT] on radiosensivity of human prostate cancer cells pre and post X-ray radiation treatment [RT]

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the human prostate cancer cell line DU145 was cultured as 300 micro m diameter spheroids. We divided the spheroids into group I: control, group II: HT at 43[degree]C for 30 minutes [HT], group III: 4 Gy irradiation with 6 MV X-ray [RT [6 MV]], group IV: 4 Gy irradiation with 15 MV X-ray [RT [15 MV]], group V: HT+RT [6 MV], group VI: HT+RT [15 MV], group VII: RT [6 MV]+HT, and group VIII: RT [15 MV]+HT. The alkaline comet assay was used to assess DNA damages in terms of tail moment [TM]. Thermal enhancement factor [TEF] was obtained for the different treatment combinations

Results: Mean TM increased with increasing photon energy. Group II had significantly greater TM compared to group I. Groups III and IV also had significantly higher TM compared to group I. Significant differences in TM existed between groups V, VII, and III [P<0.05]. We observed significant differences in TM between groups VI, VIII, and IV. TEF values demonstrated that enhanced response to radiation was more pronounced in group V compared to the other combined treatments

Conclusion: Our results suggest that HT applied before RT leads to higher radiosensivity compared to after RT. HT at 43[degree]C for 30 minutes added to 6 MV X-ray causes higher enhancement of radiation compared to 15 MV X-ray

Variación diurna en la composición del bacterioplancton y daño del ADN en la comunidad microbiana de un lago oligotrófico andino / Diurnal variation in bacterioplankton composition and DNA damage in the microbial community from an Andean oligotrophic lake

Laguna Azul is an oligotrophic lake situated at 4,560 m above sea level and subject to a high level of solar radiation. Bacterioplankton community composition (BCC) was analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and the impact of solar ultraviolet radiation was assessed by measuring cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD). Furthermore, pure cultures of Acinetobacter johnsonii A2 and Rhodococcus sp. A5 were exposed simultaneously and CPD accumulation was studied. Gel analyses generated a total of 7 sequences belonging to Alpha-proteobacteria (1 band), Beta-proteobacteria (1 band), Bacteroidetes (2 bands), Actinobacteria (1 band), and Firmicutes (1 band). DGGE profiles showed minimal changes in BCC and no CPD was detected even though a high level of damage was found in biodosimeters. A. johnsonii A2 showed low level of DNA damage while Rhodococcus sp. A5 exhibited high resistance since no CPD were detected under natural UV-B exposure, suggesting that the bacterial community is well adapted to this highly solar irradiated environment.

La Laguna Azul es un ambiente oligotrófico localizado a 4560m de altura y sometido a elevados niveles de radiación solar. La composición de su comunidad bacterioplanctónica fue analizada empleando la técnica de electroforesis en gradiente desnaturalizante y se investigó el impacto de la radiación ultravioleta cuantificando los dímeros de pirimidina (CPD). Además, se expusieron simultáneamente cultivos puros de Acinetobacter johnsonii A2 y Rhodococcus sp. A5 para estudiar la acumulación de CPD. El análisis de los geles mostró siete secuencias pertenecientes a Alpha-proteobacteria (1 banda), Beta-proteobacteria (1 banda), Bacteroidetes (2 bandas), Actinobacteria (1 banda) y Firmicutes (1 banda). A lo largo del día se observaron cambios mínimos en la composición de la comunidad y no se detectaron CPD. A. johnsonii A2 presentó un daño bajo mientras que Rhodococcus sp. A5 no presentó daño en su ADN, sugiriendo que la comunidad bacteriana está muy bien adaptada a este ambiente altamente irradiado

Biomarkers of induced electromagnetic field and cancer.

The present article delineates the epidemiological and experimental studies of electromagnetic field which affects various tissues of human body. These affects lead to cell proliferation, which may lead to cancer formation. Certain biomarkers have been identified which are one way or the other responsible for tumor promotion or co-promotion. These are (i) melatonin, a hormone secreted by pineal gland, (ii) Ca2+, which is essential in the regulation of the resting membrane potential and in the sequence of events in synaptic excitation and neurotransmitter, release are affected by electromagnetic field, (iii) ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of polyamines, considered as a useful biological marker; over expression of ODC can cause cell transformation and enhancement of tumor promotion. (iv) protein kinase is an enzyme, which transfers phosphate groups from ATP to hydroxyl groups in the amino acid chains of acceptor proteins, and (v) Na+-K+ ATPase, which transports sodium and potassium ions across the membrane has a critical role in living cells. The various possible mechanisms depending upon non equilibrium thermodynamics, co-operativism, stochastic and resonance are discussed as possible models of signal transduction in cytosol, thereby controlling the transcription phenomena. Finally a mechanism comprising the extremely low frequency and radio frequency (RF)/microwave (MW) modulated field is compared.

Photodynamic DNA damage induced by phycocyanin and its repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In the present study, we analyzed DNA damage induced by phycocyanin (PHY) in the presence of visible light (VL) using a set of repair endonucleases purified from Escherichia coli. We demonstrated that the profile of DNA damage induced by PHY is clearly different from that induced by molecules that exert deleterious effects on DNA involving solely singlet oxygen as reactive species. Most of PHY-induced lesions are single strand breaks and, to a lesser extent, base oxidized sites, which are recognized by Nth, Nfo and Fpg enzymes. High pressure liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection revealed that PHY photosensitization did not induce 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo) at detectable levels. DNA repair after PHY photosensitization was also investigated. Plasmid DNA damaged by PHY photosensitization was used to transform a series of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA repair mutants. The results revealed that plasmid survival was greatly reduced in rad14 mutants, while the ogg1 mutation did not modify the plasmid survival when compared to that in the wild type. Furthermore, plasmid survival in the ogg1 rad14 double mutant was not different from that in the rad14 single mutant. The results reported here indicate that lethal lesions induced by PHY plus VL are repaired differently by prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Morever, nucleotide excision repair seems to play a major role in the recognition and repair of these lesions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Presence of RNA from yeast inhibits the photoreactivation of UV-irradiated DNA by Phr A photolyase from Escherichia coli.

Photoreactivation of UV-irradiated DSNA with phr A photolyase from Escherichia coli was studied in the presence of yeast RNA. Mixing of RNA with UV-irradiated DNA before its treatment with photolyase inhibited the photoreactivation of DNA. Denatured (by sonication) RNA was found to be more effective in blocking photolyase action. Agarose gel electrophoresis experiments suggest that this inhibition of photoreactivation is due to interference in the binding of photolyase with UV-irradiated DNA by yeast RNA.

The effect of short-wavelength ultraviolet light on antigens, lection receptors and the ultraestructure of Crithidia fasciculata

Crithidia fasciculata is an important trypanosomatid parasite commonly affecting insects and is used extensively as a model for the study of the biochemistry, ultrastructure and organization of the kDNA network of trypanosomatids. The present study describes the evolution of UV-induced morphological changes detectable by transmission electron microscopy in Crithidia fasciculata. Although only rare and minor changes in Kinetoplast DNA were demonstrable 7 h after UV irradiation, alterations of this orgtanelle were present in almost al flagellates observed 24 h and 48 h after irradiation. Other cell structures were apparently undamaged. Ultrastructural changes in kDNA did not correspond to changes in antigenicity of protein bands in western blotting against serum from Chagas' disease patients or in the presence of 3 different lectin receptors on the surface of the parasite