Assessment of Genotoxicity Among Rubber Industry Workers Occupationally Exposed to Toxic Agents Using Micronucleus Assay.

BACKGROUND: Occupational and environmental exposures mostly represent complexmixture of genotoxic agents, however there is a wide variation in the specificity of biomarkers. Exploration of correlations among biomarkers contributes to the further progress of molecular cancer epidemiology and to the selection of the optimal biomarkers for the investigation of human exposure to carcinogens. The aim of this study was to assess the potential cytogenetic damage associated with occupational exposure to toxic agents among rubber industry workers by using Micronucleus (MN) assay. METHODS: In the present study 35 occupationally exposed rubber industry workers and 30 controls were investigated for genetic damage. Both the exposed and control individuals were selected from rural areas of South India. Exfoliated Buccal cells were collected from the study population and examined for the presence of MN. RESULTS: Rubber industry workers showed a significant increase in micronucleated cells when compared to controls with respect to their smoking and drinking habits (P< 0.05). The present study suggested that occupational exposure to toxic chemicals in rubber industry can cause genetic damage. CONCLUSION: MN formation reflects genetic changes and/or events associated with carcinogenesis. Therefore the results of this study indicate that rubber industry workers may be at the risk of cancer. Therefore, it is important to take appropriate measures to protect the workers from occupational hazards.

Evaluation of genotoxicity in automobile mechanics occupationally exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities.

BACKGROUND: Occupational and environmental exposures mostly represent mixtures of genotoxic agents, whereas the specificity of biomarker measurements varies widely. Exploration of correlations among biomarkers contributes to the further progress of molecular cancer epidemiology and to the selection of the optimal biomarkers for the investigation of human exposure to carcinogens. The aim of this study was to assess the potential cytogenetic damage associated with occupational exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) among automobile mechanics by using Micronuclei (MN) and other Nuclear Abnormalities (NA) as a biomarker. METHODS: The study population composed of 110 occupationally exposed automobile mechanics and 100 unexposed controls. All the study participants were males. Both the exposed and control individuals were selected from automobile garages located in the urban area of Coimbatore City, South India. Exfoliated buccal cells were collected from 110 automobile mechanics and 100 age and sex matched controls. Further, cells were examined for MN frequency and Nuclear Abnormalities (NA) other than micronuclei, such as binucleates, broken eggs and karyolysis. RESULTS: Results showed a statistically significant difference between occupationally exposed automobile mechanics and control groups. MN and NA frequencies in automobile mechanics were significantly higher than those in control groups (p < 0.05) and also significantly related to smoking habit (p < 0.05). In addition, a higher degree of NA was observed among the exposed subjects with smoking, drinking, tobacco chewing, which is an indicative of cytogenetic damage in these individuals. CONCLUSION: MN and other NA reflect genetic changes, events associated with carcinogenesis. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that automobile mechanics exposed to PAHs are under risk of significant cytogenetic damage. Therefore, it is important to provide and offer better awareness of occupational hazards among these workers to promote occupational safety.

Biomonitoring of genotoxic effects among shielded manual metal arc welders.

Hexavalent chromium Cr (VI) used in shielded metal arc welding is widely recognized to act as a carcinogen, mutagen and teratogen. The carcinogenic potential of metals is a major issue in defining human health risk from exposure. Hence in the present investigation, 66 welders and 60 control subjects with similar mean ages, smoking prevalences and alcohol consumption were enrolled for DNA damage analysis of buccal cells by micronucleus (MN) and comet assay. Welders showed a significant increase in micronucleated cells compared to controls and a larger mean comet tail length. The current study thus suggested that chronic occupational exposure to Cr (VI) during welding could lead to increased level of DNA damage. Understanding the complexity of the relationships between exposure, basal DNA damage and MN frequencies requires larger scale studies and application of complementary biomarkers.

Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles by Gelidiella acerosa Extract and their Antifungal Effects.

The synthesis, characterization and application of biologically synthesized nanomaterials are an important aspect in nanotechnology. The present study deals with the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using the aqueous extract of red seaweed Gelidiella acerosa as the reducing agent to study the antifungal activity. The formation of Ag-NPs was confirmed by UV-Visible Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The synthesized Ag-NPs was predominately spherical in shape and polydispersed. Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis showed that the synthesized nano-Ag was capped with bimolecular compounds which are responsible for reduction of silver ions. The antifungal effects of these nanoparticles were studied against Humicola insolens (MTCC 4520), Fusarium dimerum (MTCC 6583), Mucor indicus (MTCC 3318) and Trichoderma reesei (MTCC 3929). The present study indicates that Ag-NPs have considerable antifungal activity in comparison with standard antifungal drug, and hence further investigation for clinical applications is necessary.

Mixture of betel leaf, areca nut and tobacco chewing is a risk factor for cytogenetic damage in construction workers from south India

Aim: To determine the cytogenetic effect of betel leaf, areca nut and tobacco mixture usage among female construction workers in Tamilnadu, Southern India. Methods: Totally 236 buccal cells and blood samples were collected from 80 betel quid users and 76 users with tobacco snuffing habit which were compared with 80 healthy subjects. Peripheral blood leukocyte cultures were analyzed for chromosomal aberrations (CA) and exfoliated cells from the buccal mucosa were examined for micronucleus (MN). Results: Statistically significant (p<0.01) increase in CA and MN were observed in users with snuffing habit when compared to users without snuffing habit and controls as confirmed by chi-square test. Therefore, specific biomarkers on cytogenetic endpoints might help in planning precautionary measures to reduce oral cancer risks. Conclusions: The present study can be concluded that a mixture of betel quid, areca nut and tobacco chewing/snuffing is unsafe for oral health. The genotoxic effect of smokeless tobacco should be considered in addition to other known hazards for assessing health risks.