Changes in the Level of DNA Damage in Mouse Cells Induced by Atmospheric Factors

Abstract—Changes in the level of DNA damage induced by atmospheric factors were evaluated from the percentage of tail DNA (%TDNA) in the comet assay of mouse cells for blood leukocytes, Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, and P388 lymphocytic leukemia. It was shown that (1) the values of DNA damage of blood leukocytes (%TDNA) were high within narrow ranges of atmospheric temperature (from –4°С to +3°С) and atmospheric partial oxygen contents within 298–304 mg/L; (2) the range of variations in %TDNA of leukocytes increased with increasing geomagnetic activity; (3) the changes in %TDNA of intact and X-irradiated (4 Gy) leukocytes and of tumor cells were associated with changes in air temperature; and (4) %TDNA correlated with atmospheric temperature in both types of intact tumor cells and irradiated P388 cells. Thus, variations in %TDNA appear to be caused by reactive oxygen species generated in the environment at temperatures of phase transitions of water. It is conceivable that changes in the basal %TDNA of cells modulate their radiation response.