Genotoxic effects of caffeine in female mice exposed during pregnancy and lactation period and their offspring.

Caffeine is a widely consumed substance, and there is a discussion about its effects when ingested by women during pregnancy and lactation. We aimed to identify the genotoxic effects of caffeine in female mice that consumed it during pregnancy and lactation periods and its consequences in their offspring. Thirty-six couples of Swiss mice received water or caffeine (0.3 and 1.0 mg/mL) treatment during pregnancy and lactation. The male and female offspring were divided into 12 groups according to the treatment administered to the female mice. Genotoxicity was assessed using the comet assay and the micronucleus test. Both doses of caffeine showed genotoxic effects in pregnant and lactating mice groups compared to groups not administered caffeine. In relation to offspring, it can be observed that females and males of the offspring had low weight in early life. In both female and male offspring, genotoxicity was detected in the blood, liver, and kidney tissues. Thus, from the present study, we can suggest that the caffeine consumed by female mice during the periods of pregnancy and lactation led to genotoxic effects in their offspring.

A reduction in DNA damage in neural tissue and peripheral blood of old mice treated with caffeine.

Studies on caffeine consumption have shown a negative correlation with development of some diseases with subsequent beneficial manifestations. Our aim was to assess the effects of caffeine on peripheral blood and neural tissue DNA in young adult and aged mice. Male Swiss mice (age 2-3 or 16-18 months, respectively) were treated with a caffeine solution (0.3 g/l) for 4 weeks, while controls received water. After the treatments, blood and hippocampal cells (for a comet assay) and femurs (for a micronucleus [MN] test) were collected. The comet assay of peripheral blood and hippocampal cells demonstrated no significant differences between caffeine-treated and control young adult mice in terms of DNA damage index (DI) and frequency. In contrast, when comparing young adult with aged animals, significant differences were observed in DNA damage in blood and hippocampal cells. The differences between aged animals (with or without caffeine) consisted of a significant decrease in DNA DI in the group that received caffeine. In the MN test, an increase in frequency of micronucleated polychromatic (PCE) erythrocytes was noted in aged animals that received water compared to young adult mice. In addition, comparing treated with control aged murine groups, a decrease in frequency of MN was found in PCE erythrocytes of caffeine-treated mice. Chronic caffeine consumption was neither genotoxic nor mutagenic at the dose tested; however, it appears that caffeine actually protected mice from genotoxicity and mutagenicity, consequences attributed to aging.