ANALYSIS OF THE DNA-DAMAGE INDUCED BY PRAZIQUANTEL IN V-79 CHINESE-HAMSTER FIBROBLASTS AND HUMAN BLOOD-CELLS USING THE SINGLE-CELL GEL-ELECTROPHORESIS ASSAY

The analysis of the genotoxicity of praziquantel, an effective antihel minthic widely used in countries where parasitic infections are still serious public health problems, has been extensively performed using d iverse in vitro and in vivo assays and endpoints. However, results are not conclusive, since reports to date indicate either praziquantel is mutagenic, comutagenic, or even antimutagenic. In the present work, t he clastogenic potential of praziquantel was investigated in V-79 Chin ese hamster fibroblasts and human peripheral blood using a sensitive t echnique such as the single-cell electrophoresis assay. Results indica te that even though praziquantel induced DNA single-strand breaks both in V-79 cells and unstimulated human leukocytes, this effect was not translated into persistent DNA damage, since neither SCE nor HPRT muta tions were induced. This suggests that the effect observed in the SCGE assay is an early event not closely related to praziquantel mutagenic ity, because this DNA damage could be efficiently repaired. (C) 1998 W iley-Liss, Inc.