Assessment of DNA damage in spleen, bone marrow, and peripheral blood frommalnourished rats by single cell gel electrophoresis assay

Severe malnutrition is widely distributed throughout the world and exhibits a high prevalence in developing countries. Experimental malnutrition model s have been useful to study the effects of malnutrition at early ages. The purpose of this study was to determine if severe malnutrition induced durin g lactation in rats increases DNA damage in spleen, peripheral blood, and b one marrow cells, as well as in isolated lymphocytes or lymphoid cells from the same tissues. These cells were obtained from malnourished rats at wean ing (21 days of age). DNA damage was estimated by using the alkaline single cell electrophoresis assay. The results obtained in this study indicate th at malnutrition is associated with a significant increase in DNA damage in all cell types that were studied in malnourished rats. The analysis of the length of DNA migration and dispersion coefficient showed that some cell ty pes were more susceptible to DNA damage related with malnutrition. The dama ge observed could be due to the deficiency of several essential nutrients r equired for protein synthesis that are associated with DNA integrity, impai red DNA repair mechanisms, and/or to the unavailability of molecules necess ary to protect the cells against DNA oxidative damage. This damage may prod uce negative effects for the further development of the organism, since bon e marrow is the main site of hematopoiesis and spleen is an important lymph opoietic organ. Also, the increased level of DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes and leukocytes could be related to negative effects such as a deficient immune response. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.