Evidence of genotoxicity in lymphocytes of non-smoking alcoholics

Exploring cytokinesis block micronucleus assay in Croatia: A journey through the past, present, and future in biomonitoring of the general population

In this study, we used the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay to evaluate the background frequency of cytogenetic damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of the general population concerning different anthropometric data and lifestyle factors. The background frequency of CBMN assay parameters was analysed in 850 healthy, occupationally non-exposed male and female subjects (average age, 38±11 years) gathered from the general Croatian population from 2000 to 2023. The mean background values for micronuclei (MNi) in the whole population were 5.3±4.3 per 1000 binucleated cells, while the mean frequency of nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) was 0.7±1.3 and of nuclear buds (NBUDs) 3.1±3.2. The cut-off value, which corresponds to the 95th percentile of the distribution of 850 individual values, was 14 MNi, 3 NPBs, and 9 NBUDs. Results from our database also showed an association of the tested genomic instability parameters with age and sex but also with other lifestyle factors. These findings underscore the importance of considering several anthropometric and lifestyle factors when conducting biomonitoring studies. Overall, the normal and cut-off values attained here present normal values for the general population that can later serve as baseline values for further human biomonitoring studies either in Croatia or worldwide.

Regular Sport Activity Is Able to Reduce the Level of Genomic Damage

Regular physical activity is considered one of the most valid tools capable of reducing the risk of onset of many diseases in humans. However, it is known that intense physical activity can induce high levels of genomic damage, while moderate exercise can elicit a favorable adaptive response by the organism. We evaluated, by the buccal micronuclei assay, the frequencies of micronuclei, nuclear buds and binucleated cells in a sample of amateur athletes practicing different disciplines, comparing the obtained data with those of subjects who practiced sports just occasionally and subjects that did not practice sport at all. The aim was to evaluate whether physical activity affects background levels of genomic damage and whether the different sports disciplines, as well as some gene polymorphisms, differentially affect these levels. A total of 206 subjects, 125 athletes and 81 controls, were recruited. Athletes showed significantly lower values of micronuclei, nuclear buds and binucleated cells with respect to controls. Sprinters and Martial Artists displayed significantly higher frequencies of micronuclei than other categories of athletes. Finally, neither sex nor gene polymorphisms seemed to influence the levels of genomic damage, confirming that the observed genomic damage is probably due to the nature of the sport activity.

Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Male Fertility Potential: A Narrative Review

Alcohol abuse disorder is a serious condition, implicating more than 15 million people aged 12 years and older in 2019 in the United States. Ethanol (or ethyl alcohol) is mainly oxidized in the liver, resulting in the synthesis of acetaldehyde and acetate, which are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites, as well as in the generation of a reductive cellular environment. Moreover, ethanol can interact with lipids, generating fatty acid ethyl esters and phosphatidylethanol, which interfere with physiological cellular pathways. This narrative review summarizes the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on male fertility by describing its metabolism and how ethanol consumption may induce cellular damage. Furthermore, the impact of alcohol consumption on hormonal regulation, semen quality, and genetic and epigenetic regulations is discussed based on evidence from animal and human studies, focusing on the consequences on the offspring. Finally, the limitations of the current evidence are discussed. Our review highlights the association between chronic alcohol consumption and poor semen quality, mainly due to the development of oxidative stress, as well as its genotoxic impact on hormonal regulation and DNA integrity, affecting the offspring’s health. New landscapes of investigation are proposed for the identification of molecular markers for alcohol-associated infertility, with a focus on advanced OMICS-based approaches applied to the analysis of semen samples.

Genotoxicity and mutagenicity research in Quilombola communities

The Quilombola communities are mostly isolated and deprived of sources of treated water, garbage collection and sewage, consuming fresh water from wells, streams, lakes, among others. This lack of basic infrastructure can be a relevant factor in exposing residents to substances and factors that are harmful to the integrity of their genetic material that can lead to carcinogenesis. Based on this, the objective of this study was to evaluate the genomic and mutagenic/cytotoxic damage in the adult population of two Quilombola communities (one urban and another rural region), in the state of Goiás, Brazil. For this purpose, the leukocyte of peripheral blood Comet Assay in 68 individuals and Micronucleus Test from exfoliated buccal cells of oral mucosa in 21 volunteers were performed. The results evidenced genomic damage, especially for the community of Aparecida de Goiânia city, which detected significant values (p < 0.05), for the length of the comet's tail and for of the Olive Tail Moment. In the micronucleus test, significant differences were only detected (p < 0.05), when it came to the distribution of nuclear changes among the groups. Therefore, it is essential to perform constant population biomonitoring studies to help guarantee health and, consequently, the quality of life.

High-risk behavior in patients with alcohol dependence

CONTEXT

Severity of alcohol dependence is related to the high-risk behavior of alcohol dependents.

AIM

To assess the high-risk behavior in patients with alcohol dependence and study the association between them.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

This is a descriptive study of high-risk behavior in patients with alcohol dependence, conducted over a period of 15-month duration that is from January 2011 to April 2012 on 200 alcohol-dependent patients (178 men and 22 women) in the Department of Psychiatry, Mamata Medical College and General Hospital, Khammam (TS), India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients and their caregivers fulfilling the selection criteria were included in the study, and informed consent was obtained. Interview was carried out after 2 weeks to rule out the possibility of the presence of withdrawal symptoms in alcohol-dependent patients. Tools used for data collection include Sociodemographic and Clinical Profile Schedule, Clinical Institute of Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, Mini-Mental Status Examination, Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire, and High Risk Behavior Questionnaire.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression test were used.

RESULTS

The occurrence of high-risk behavior was substantial among patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. Event analysis method indicated that road traffic accidents associated with prior heavy drinking was the most frequently observed high-risk behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

The study reiterates the relationship between alcohol and sexual behavior and also highlights that individuals dependent on alcohol are a specifically vulnerable group.

Cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay parameters in peripheral blood lymphocytes of the general population: Contribution of age, sex, seasonal variations and lifestyle factors

The cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMN Cyt) assay was used to evaluate the baseline frequency of cytogenetic damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of the general population (average age, 38.28 ± 12.83 years) in relation to age, sex, body mass index, seasonal variations (season of sampling, period of sampling and different meteorological parameters) and lifestyle factors (smoking habit, alcohol consumption, exposure to medications and diagnostic radiation, physical activity, and family history of cancer). The background frequency of micronuclei (MNi) for the 200 subjects assayed was 5.06 ± 3.11 per 1000 binucleated cells, while the mean frequency of nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) was 1.21 ± 1.46 and of nuclear buds (NBUDs) 3.48 ± 2.14. The background frequency of apoptosis and necrosis was 1.58 ± 1.50 and 1.39 ± 1.56, respectively, while the mean nuclear division index (NDI) was 1.99 ± 0.14. The cut-off value, which corresponds to the 95th percentile of the distribution of 200 individual values, was 11 MNi, 4 NPBs and 7 NBUDs. The study also confirmed an association of the above mentioned parameters with age, sex and several lifestyle factors. Moreover, significant confounders based on our results are also sampling season, sampling period and different meteorological parameters that were dependent on the CBMN Cyt assay parameters. In line with the above mentioned, several factors should be taken into account when it comes to the monitoring of exposed populations using cytogenetic biomarkers. Moreover, the normal and cut-off values obtained in this study present background data for the general population, and can later serve as baseline values for further biomonitoring studies.

Evaluation of genotoxic effects in Brazilian agricultural workers exposed to pesticides and cigarette smoke using machine-learning algorithms

Monitoring exposure to xenobiotics by biomarker analyses, such as a micronucleus assay, is extremely important for the precocious detection and prevention of diseases, such as oral cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate genotoxic effects in rural workers who were exposed to cigarette smoke and/or pesticides and to identify possible classification patterns in the exposure groups. The sample included 120 participants of both sexes aged between 18 and 39, who were divided into the following four groups: control group (CG), smoking group (SG), pesticide group (PG), and smoking + pesticide group (SPG). Their oral mucosa cells were stained with Giemsa for cytogenetic analysis. The total numbers of nuclear abnormalities (CG = 27.16 ± 14.32, SG = 118.23 ± 74.78, PG = 184.23 ± 52.31, and SPG = 191.53 ± 66.94) and micronuclei (CG = 1.46 ± 1.40, SG = 12.20 ± 10.79, PG = 21.60 ± 8.24, and SPG = 20.26 ± 12.76) were higher (p < 0.05) in the three exposed groups compared to the GC. In this study, we considered several different classification algorithms (the artificial neural network, K-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, and optimum path forest). All of the algorithms displayed good classification (accuracy > 80%) when using dataset2 (without the redundant exposure type SPG). It is clear that the data form a robust pattern and that classifiers could be successfully trained on small datasets from the exposure groups. In conclusion, exposing agricultural workers to pesticides and/or tobacco had genotoxic potential, but concomitant exposure to xenobiotics did not lead to additive or potentiating effects.

Association Between Inherited Thrombophilia in Pregnancy and Micronucleus Frequency in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes

The aim of this study was to determine possible predictors of an increased frequency of micronucleus (MN) and the impact of thrombophilia on the chromosomal instability in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of pregnant women in their first trimester. This study was designed as a case-control study on 74 pregnant women. It was performed in the gestational age of 11 to 14 weeks, when blood samples were collected and incubated for 72 hours. The individual MN frequency in PBL was measured by cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Women were grouped in control group [≤4 MN/1000 binucleated (BN) cells] and case group (>4 MN/1000 BN cells). Potential mutagenic effects of exogenous/endogenous factors in pregnant women were analyzed. By analyzing the given results, it can be concluded that pregnant women with thrombophilia have 26.69-times more chance of having a frequency of >4 MN/1000 BN than pregnant women with no thrombophilia. Our research was primarily aimed at showing that the presence of thrombophilia was a statistically important predictor of an increased MN frequency in pregnant women and it can predict about one-third of the total variance in MN frequency in the studied population.

Assessment of genotoxicity amongst smokers, alcoholics, and tobacco chewers of North India using micronucleus assay and urinary 8-hydroxyl-2'-deoxyguanosine, as biomarkers

The main objective of the present study was to screen the genotoxicity caused by individual and combined habits of smoking, tobacco chewing, and alcohol consumption in human population of North India. Study recruited 67 male subjects aged 25 to 65 years. Buccal mucosal cells were subjected to micronucleus (MN) assay, and 8-hydroxyl-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was estimated in their urine samples. Number and shape of the MN cells varied in the buccal epithelium of different groups. Maximum number of MN (0.47%) were found in tobacco chewers followed by smokers (0.45%) and alcoholics (0.44%) (P < 0.05). These results reciprocated the concentration of urinary 8-OHdG. Maximum value for 8-OHdG was also recorded in tobacco chewers (21.07 ± 5.51 mg/mg creatinine) followed by smokers (20.25 ± 3.96 mg/mg creatinine) and alcoholics (19.06 ± 3.41 mg/mg creatinine) (P < 0.05). Combined effects of these agents were found to be statistically different from individual effects. Carcinogenic compounds present in cigarette smoke, nitrosamines found in solid tobacco, and acetaldehyde, a metabolic product of alcohol, induce oxidative stress that manifests into genotoxicity. In conclusion, demographical differences occur in the genotoxicity caused by these three habits. MN assay and urinary 8-OHdG are simple, noninvasive, and reliable biomarkers of genotoxicity.

Psychological changes in alcohol-dependent patients during a residential rehabilitation program

BACKGROUND

Alcohol-dependent patients usually experience negative affects under the influence of alcohol, and these affective symptoms have been shown to decrease as a result of alcohol-withdrawal treatment. A recent cognitive-affective model suggests an interaction between drug motivation and affective symptoms. The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate the psychological changes in subjects undergoing a residential rehabilitation program specifically designed for alcohol addiction, and to identify at discharge patients with greater affective symptoms and therefore more at risk of relapse.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The sample included 560 subjects (mean age 46.91±10.2 years) who completed 28-day rehabilitation programs for alcohol addiction, following a tailored routine characterized by short duration and high intensity of medical and psychotherapeutic treatment. The psychological clinical profiles of anxiety, depression, psychological distress, psychological well-being, and self-perception of a positive change were assessed using the Cognitive Behavioral Assessment - Outcome Evaluation questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the program. The changes in the psychological variables of the questionnaire were identified and considered as outcome evaluation of the residential intervention. Moreover, differences in the psychological functioning between patients with different characteristics were investigated.

RESULTS

The score measured by the Cognitive Behavioral Assessment - Outcome Evaluation showed significant improvements in all the psychological characteristics assessed, and the profile at discharge was within the normal scores. Some significant differences were found in relation to specific characteristics of the sample, such as age, sex, level of education, type of intervention, and polysubstance use.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the changes in psychological profile in subjects undergoing residential rehabilitation from alcohol and how this profile may permit identification of subjects requiring more psychosocial support after discharge.