Investigation of in vitro genotoxic effects of an anti-diabetic drug sitagliptin

Sitagliptin is an active ingredient of antidiabetic drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this study, the genotoxic effects of sitagliptin were determined in human lymphocytes by using chromosome aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), micronucleus (MN) and comet assays. 31.25-1000 μg/mL concentrations of sitagliptin were used. Sitagliptin significantly increased the frequency of CAs and SCEs at the highest concentration at 24 h treatment and all concentrations (except 250 μg/mL for CA, except 31.25 and 62.50 μg/mL for SCE) at 48 h treatment compared with solvent control (DMSO). This compound increased the MN at only the highest concentration compared with the solvent control. Mitotic index (MI) significantly decreased at the three highest concentrations of sitagliptin at 48 h treatment. However, replication (RI) and nuclear division (NDI) indices were not affected at all the treatments. Comet assay results indicated that sitagliptin significantly increased mean comet tail intensity and tail moment at only two concentrations (62.50 and 1000 μg/mL for intensity, 125 and 1000 μg/mL for tail moment), and tail length at all concentrations (except 125 and 500 μg/mL). It was concluded that higher concentration of sitagliptin had genotoxic effects in the human lymphocytes in vitro.