Inhibitory Effect of Carnosine and Anserine on DNA Oxidative Damage Induced by Fe2+, Cu2+ and H2O2 in Lymphocytes

CHIU-LUAN HSIEH 1, YI-CHUN HO 2, HSI-HUAI LAI 2 AND GOW-CHIN YEN 2*

 

2. Department of Food Science, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuokuang Road, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC

(Received: May 9, 2001; Accepted: July 19, 2001)

 

ABSTRACT

 

   The effects of carnosine and anserine on oxidative DNA damage in human lymphocytes induced by Fe2+, Cu2+ or H2O2 were investigated using single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). Carnosine and anserine induced a slight DNA damage in human lymphocytes after incubation with cells for 30 min. Carnosine and anserine caused a tail DNA % from 4.7% to 7.3% and 6.1% to 10.0% respectively, at a concentration of 5-100 μM. The cell viability of carnosine and anserine to human lymphocytes was more than 85%. Fe2+ and Cu2+ caused a marked cytotoxicity and DNA damage in human lymphocytes with a concentration dependent manner. At a concentration of 100 μM, carnosine and anserine possessed 60-70% inhibitory effect on DNA damage in human lymphocytes when they reacted with Fe2+ or Cu2+ for 30 min before incubated with human lymphocytes. Fe2+, Cu2+, and H2O2-induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes were inhibited by carnosine and anserine in a concentration dependent manner (5-100 μM). However, the inhibitory effect of carnosine and anserine on oxidative DNA damage in human lymphocyte was 46.4% and 49.3%, respectively, when reacted simultaneously with H2O2. Carnosine and anserine possessed more marked inhibitory effect on oxidative DNA damage in human lymphocyte induced by Fe2+ and Cu2+ than that induced by H2O2. This result might be due to carnosine and anserine did not possess significantly scavenging effect on H2O2, thus, H2O2 entered the cell and caused DNA damage.