DNA damage and related modifier genes in Italian Cystic fibrosis patients

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive multisystemic disorder showing a highly heterogeneous phenotype, even among siblings carrying identical CFTR mutations. Moreover, oxidative stress is of central importance in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis. The present study seeks to value the presence of oxidative damage in CF patients and the possible modifier effect of repair and glutathione-S-transferase genes. We analysed the presence of DNA damage in leukocytes of 63 CF patients at an Italian CF centre and 63 controls, through the alkaline Comet assay to detect DNA strand breaks. Furthermore, controls and 93 CF subjects were genotyped for 5 genes by RFLP-PCR (XRCC1,0GG1,GSTP1) and PCR assay (GSTM1, GSTT1). No difference in Comet assay values was observed comparing controls to CF patients, although CF subjects showed slightly higher mean values. The crude Odds-Ratio (OR) was higher than one for XRCC1 and GSTP1 genotypes and liver status and for XRCC1 and OGG1 genotypes and pancreatic insufficiency, but in all cases the p-values were not significant. In this case-control study, neither DNA damage ñor gene polymorphisms seem to influence CF manifestation.

Extracto de frutos enteros de Punica granatum L como agente protector del daño inducido por el peróxido de hidrógeno / Punica granatum L whole fruit extract as a protection against the hydrogen peroxide-induced damage

Punica granatum L (Punicaceae) es una planta medicinal cuyo fruto posee propiedades terapéuticas. El extracto obtenido a partir de frutos enteros se encuentra en fase de estudios preclínicos con el propósito de ser utilizado para el tratamiento de enfermedades virales. En los últimos años, algunas investigaciones experimentales han sido dirigidas al estudio de las propiedades antigenotóxicas de este extracto como una valiosa propiedad adicional. Algunos fitocomponentes del fruto de la granada muestran una actividad antioxidante potente y existen resultados experimentales que demuestran su capacidad como agentes antimutagénicos naturales. El presente trabajo expone los resultados obtenidos al valorar, en este extracto de granada, su capacidad de disminuir el daño inducido por el peróxido de hidrógeno en células de ovario de Hamster chino cultivadas in vitro. Se realizaron experimentos de carácter citogenético como es el intercambio de cromátidas hermanas y citofluorimétrico: la fluorimetría de la diclofluoreceína oxidada. En las condiciones experimentales de esta investigación, el extracto de frutos enteros de granada fue capaz de secuestrar especies reactivas del oxígeno producidas por el peróxido de hidrógeno, mecanismo mediante el cual ejerce su acción protectora del ADN frente a las lesiones causadas por este agente

Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae) is a medicinal plant whose fruit has therapeutical properties. The whole fruit extract is under preclinical study, with the objective of being used for viral disease treatment. In the last few years, some experimental research has been aimed at studying the antigenotoxic characteristics of this extract as an additional valuable property. Some phytocomponents of Punica granatum L. fruit show powerful antioxidative activity and certain experimental results prove their capacity as natural antimutagenic agents. The present paper set forth the results achieved in evaluating the capacity of this extract to reduce hydrogen peroxide-induced damage in in vitro cultured ovarian cells from Chinese Hamster. Cytogenetic experiments such as the exchange of sister chromatids and the cytofluometric test, i.e, oxidized diclofluorescein fluorimetry were performed. Under the experimental conditions of this research work, the Punica granatum whole fruit extract could sequestrate reactive oxygen species caused by hydrogen peroxide, a mechanism that allows it to protect the DNA against the lesions provoked by this agent.