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
La. Herrera et al., 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, Teratogenesis, carcinogenesis, and mutagenesis, 18(1), 1998, pp. 41-47
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.