Genoprotective effect of aspirin and ibuprofen in human lymphocyte cells. Effect of nano and bulk forms of aspirin and ibuprofen on lymphocytes from breast cancer patients compared with those from healthy females

Abstract

Various recent studies have suggested that regular intake of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a preventative effect against several types of tumours including breast cancer. The term nanotechnology refers to technology in which one-billionth of a meter is used as a scale for chemical particle size. This work aims to study the effect of both ibuprofen and aspirin on DNA damage using peripheral blood lymphocytes from breast cancer patients and comparing the results with those from healthy females as a control using the Comet and micronucleus assays. Western blot analysis (WBA) was used to investigate the effect of these drugs on XRCC3 and p53 proteins, whereas QPCR was to evaluate this effect on p53, cox1 and cox2 genes. Two hundred fifty ng/ml of ibuprofen (NP and bulk) and 500 ng/ml of aspirin (NP and bulk) were used to treat the lymphocytes. Both aspirin and ibuprofen caused a reduction in DNA damage and micronucleus formation. Aspirin, both forms, showed a reduction in DNA damage in the Comet and micronucleus assays. Ibuprofen both forms, by contrast, showed a statistically significant reduction in micronucleus frequency in the micronucleus assay, while its preventative effect with the Comet assay was weak or insignificant. NPs of both agents were more effective than bulk sizes. Using the Comet repair assay, aspirin and ibuprofen nano form catalysed DNA repair to a greater extent than their bulk forms. Also, both sizes showed better repair with NSAIDs compared to samples repaired without NSAIDs. In WBA aspirin increased the expression of XRCC3 protein in healthy cells. However, both NSAIDs decreased that expression in cells from BC patients. Furthermore, aspirin increased p53 expression in BC patients lymphocytes. With the QPCR method, results of both aspirin forms increased the expression of the p53 gene in BC patient cells statistically significantly. Both drugs reduced cox1 expression in healthy volunteers and cancer patients lymphocytes. Moreover, cox2 reduction was only in lymphocytes from BC patients. The results of this work are consistent with the view that NSAIDs, particularly aspirin and ibuprofen, could have a promising role in cancer treatment including breast cancer.