RESUMO
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) belongs to the thiazide diuretics family that is used for the treatment of hypertension. Enalapril is another drug that is used for the treatment of hypertension. Recently, both drugs were combined in a single medication called vaseretic that showed a strong synergistic effect against hypertension. The aim of this investigation is to examine genotoxicity of HCTZ/enalapril on chromosomal damage by measuring the frequency of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in cultured human lymphocytes. Findings showed that HCTZ (5µg/mL) significantly increased SCEs frequency (P<0.01) in cultured cells relative to the untreated cells. The levels of SCEs induced by Enalapril (10µg/mL) was similar to the level detected in the untreated cultures (P>0.05). Interestingly, SCEs induced by combined treatment were significantly lower than HCTZ alone (P<0.05). Thus, enalapril seems to protect lymphocytes from genotoxicity induced by HCTZ. Neither HCTZ nor enalapril treatment (alone or in combination) induced changes in the mitotic index and the proliferative index (P>0.05). In conclusion, HCTZ increased SCEs in cultured lymphocytes, and this increase is reduced by enalapril.