Modulation of genotoxic effects in asbestos-exposed primary human mesothelial cells by radical scavengers, metal chelators and a glutathione precursor

Abstract The genotoxicity of asbestos fibers is generally mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and by insufficient antioxidant protection. To further elucidate which radicals are involved in asbestos-mediated genotoxicity and to which extent, we have carried out experiments with the metal chelators deferoxamine (DEF) and phytic acid (PA), and with the radical scavengers superoxide dismutase (SOD), dimethylthiourea (DMTU) and the glutathione precursor Nacystelyn™ (NAL). We investigated the influence of these compounds on the potency of crocidolite, an amphibole asbestos fiber with a high iron content (27%), and chrysotile, a serpentine asbestos fiber with a low iron content (2%), to induce micronuclei (MN) in human mesothelial cells (HMC) after an exposure time of 24–72 h. Our results show that the number of crocidolite-induced MN is significantly reduced after pretreatment of fibers with PA and DEF. This effect was not observed with chrysotile. In contrast, simultaneous treatment of cells with asbestos and the OH -scavenging DMTU or the O 2 − -scavenging SOD significantly decreased the number of MN induced by chrysotile and crocidolite. In particular, DMTU almost completely suppressed micronucleus induction by both fiber types. A similar effect was observed in the presence of the H 2 O 2 -scavenging NAL after chrysotile treatment of HMC. By means of kinetochore analysis, it could be shown that the number of clastogenic events is decreased after PA and DEF pretreatment of fibers as well as after application of the above-mentioned scavengers. Our results show that chrysotile asbestos induces an increased release of H 2 O 2 in contrast to crocidolite. Also, the iron content of the fiber plays an important role in radical formation, but nevertheless, chrysotile produces oxy radicals to a similar extent as crocidolite, probably by phagocytosis-mediated oxidative bursting.