Effect of vitamin E on chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes from patients with Down's syndrome

A possible protective effect of vitamin E (DL-alpha-tocofcrol) on chromosom al damage was evaluated in lymphocytes from patients with Down's syndrome ( DS) and from controls. This included the analysis of the basal and GZ chrom osomal aberration frequencies in lymphocytes cultured with and without 100 mu M vitamin E. The chromosomal damage in G(2) was determined by scoring th e number of chromosomal aberrations in lymphocyte cultures treated with 5 m M caffeine, 2 h before harvesting. Vitamin E treatment decreased the basal and G(2) chromosomal aberrations bo th in control and DS lymphocytes. In DS cells, this protective effect, expr essed as a decrease in the chromosomal damage, was greater (50%) than in co ntrols (30%). These results suggest that the increment in basal and G(2) ab errations yield in DS lymphocytes may be related to the increase in oxidati ve damage reported in these patients.