Abstract Hibiscus acetosella was shown to exert beneficial effects in humans and animal models however, the effects of this plant on DNA are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the antigenotoxic and antimutagenic effects of H. acetosella extracts on alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) in vivo in mice. Initially, we performed analysis of phenolic compounds in extracts of H. acetosella by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Next, mice were divided into 8 groups and treated with distilled water or plant extract (0.1 ml/10 g) by gavage for 15 days, followed by intraperitoneal (ip) administration of saline solution or MMS (40 mg/Kg b.w) on day 16. Caffeic acid, following by gallic acid, gallocatechin, coumaric acid, and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid were found to be present in extracts of H. acetosella leaves. In peripheral blood analysis of groups receiving pretreatment with H. acetosella at doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg plus MMS decreased DNA damage as evidenced by comet assay and Micronucleus assays relative to MMS alone. These results suggested that H. acetosella extracts exerted protective effects dose dependent against genotoxicity and mutagenicity induced by alkylating agents.

ABSTRACT We assessed elemental composition of the liver in mice subjected to one-time or chronic consumption of the juice of vegetables cultivated in a vegetable garden built over deposits of coal waste. Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce), Beta vulgaris L. (beet), Brassica oleracea L. var. italica (broccoli) and Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala (kale) were collected from the coal-mining area and from a certified organic farm (control). Elemental composition was analyzed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method. Concentrations of Mg, S, and Ca of mice subjected to one-time consumption of broccoli and concentrations of these same elements plus Si of mice receiving kale were higher in the coal-mining area. Concentrations of P, K, and Cu were increase after chronic consumption of lettuce from the coal-mining area, whereas the levels of Si, P, K, Fe, and Zn were higher in the group consuming kale from the coal-mining area. Our data suggests that people consuming vegetables grown over coal wastes may ingest significant amounts of chemical elements that pose a risk to health, since these plants contain both essential and toxic metals in a wide range of concentrations, which can do more harm than good.

Meios de contraste (MC) são freqüentemente utilizados em radiodiagnóstico e em radioterapia como uma ferramenta de diagnóstico e em planejamento do tratamento. Estudos prévios demonstraram que estes compostos induzem aberrações cromossômicas. Este estudo avaliou os efeitos mutagênicos induzidos pelo meio de contraste Urografina® 292 (Amidotrizoate de meglumina e sódio-dímero iônico) em células da medula óssea (BMC) de camundongos in vivo. Teste de micronúcleos foi realizado em BMC de camundongos CF-1, injetados com MC intravenoso nas doses 1,5 e 3,0 mL/kg e intraperitonealmente nas doses 1,0, 2,0 e 3,0 mL/kg. Os animais foram decapitados 24 horas após o tratamento por deslocamento cervical, e as BMC dos fêmures de cada animal foram utilizados no teste de micronúcleos. O grupo tratado com injeção intravenosa mais elevada de Urografina® 292 (3,0 mL/kg) apresentou um aumento na freqüência de eritrócitos policromáticos micronucleados (MNPCEs) em relação ao grupo controle (P<0,05). Os resultados obtidos após a administração intraperitoneal do MC demonstrou que todas as doses (1,0 mL/kg, 2,0 mL/kg e 3,0 mL/kg) aumentaram a freqüência de MNPCEs, sendo significativamente diferentes do controle negativo (P<0,01). Os presentes resultados sugerem que o meio de contraste iodado Urografina® 292 pode causar um aumento significativo de danos citogenéticos em células da medula óssea de camundongos.

Contrast media (CM) are frequently used in diagnostic radiology and in radiotherapy as a diagnostic tool and in treatment planning. Previous studies have demonstrated that these compounds induce chromosomal aberrations. This study evaluates the mutagenic effects induced by the contrast medium Urografina® 292 (meglumine amidotrizoate and sodium-ionic dimmer) in bone marrow cells (BMC) of mice in vivo. Micronuclei assay was performed in BMC of CF-1 mice injected with CM 1.5 and 3.0 mL/kg intravenous doses and 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 mL/kg intraperitoneal doses. The animals were beheaded 24 h after treatment by cervical dislocation, and femur BMC from each animal were used in the micronucleus test. The group treated with the highest intravenous injection of Urografina® 292 (3.0 mL/kg) presented an increase in the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCEs) in relation at the control group (P<0.05). The results obtained after intraperitoneal administration of CM showed that all doses (1.0 mL/kg, 2.0 mL/kg and 3.0 mL/kg) increased the frequency of MNPCEs, being significantly different from the negative control (P< 0.01). The present results suggest that iodinated contrast media Urografina® 292 may cause a significant increase of cytogenetic damage in bone marrow cells of mice.