Biomarkers of Genotoxic and Reprotoxic Effects after Chemical Exposure. The genotoxic effects due to the respiratory disease of Tuberculosis (TB) patients compared to healthy controls in diploid lymphocyte and haploid sperm cells, after treated with two heterocyclic amines and quercetin in bulk and nano forms

Abstract

In the tuberculosis patients, Mycobacterium tuberculosis can stimulate production of hydrogen peroxide in the host as a result of immune response. The H2O2 accumulate in pulmonary cells, causing oxidative stress that could lead to the cancer. We select TB patients for this study which investigates the effects of quercetin as there is an increased incidence of latent TB among the migrant population in the past few years and TB can increase the risk of cancer. Sperm and lymphocytes were treated with DNA damage inducers and quercetin (10µM, 25µM and 100µM), the responses evaluated using the Comet and micronucleus techniques. The gene expressions of COX1, COX2, P53 and Bcl-2 and catalase protein expression were investigated using the qPCR and Western blot techniques. The results showed that a substantial reduction of DNA damage in lymphocytes from TB patients and sperm from healthy donors from * P ≤ 0.0283 to *** P≤0.001in the Comet assay. In the MNi assay, the effect of quercetin in lymphocytes was more significant in reduce DNA damage, whereas the DNA damage induced by a food mutagen was significant, from *p 0.0405 to ***p 0.001. The qPCR showed significance down-regulation of COX1 and Bcl-2 gene expression, rated between *p 0.045 and **p 0.0074. However, the catalase protein was up-regulated by the nano form of quercetin when using lymphocytes from TB patients and showed significant changes at *p 0.0236. In conclusion, the nano form was found to be more efficient at the reduction of DNA damage in the Comet and micronucleus assays. Also, it down-regulated COX1 and Bcl-2 and up-regulated the catalase proteins indicating a possible role for quercetin, in genoprotection to TB through its enzyme modulating effect.