Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5850390 | Food and Chemical Toxicology | 2013 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
Inadequate nutrient intake can influence the genome. Since methionine is an essential amino acid that may influence DNA integrity due to its role in the one-carbon metabolism pathway, we were interested in whether methionine imbalance can lead to genotoxic events. Adult female Swiss mice were fed a control (0.3% dl-methionine), methionine-supplemented (2.0% dl-methionine) or methionine-deficient (0% dl-methionine) diet over a 10-week period. Chromosomal damage was assessed in peripheral blood using a micronucleus test, and DNA damage was assessed in the liver, heart and peripheral blood tissues using a comet assay. The mRNA expression of the mismatch repair genes Mlh1 and Msh2 was analyzed in the liver. The frequency of micronucleus in peripheral blood was increased by 122% in the methionine-supplemented group (p < 0.05). The methionine-supplemented diet did not induce DNA damage in the heart and liver tissues, but it increased DNA damage in the peripheral blood. The methionine-deficient diet reduced basal DNA damage in liver tissue. This reduction was correlated with decreased mRNA expression of Msh2. Our results demonstrate that methionine has a tissue-specific effect because methionine-supplemented diet induced both chromosomal and DNA damage in peripheral blood while the methionine-deficient diet reduced basal DNA damage in the liver.
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Authors
Alexandre Ferro Aissa, Tarsila Daysy Ursula Hermogenes Gomes, Mara Ribeiro Almeida, LÃvia Cristina Hernandes, Joana D'arc Castania Darin, Maria Lourdes Pires Bianchi, Lusânia Maria Greggi Antunes,