Use of N,N-diacetylchitobiose in decreasing toxic effects of indoor air pollution by preventing oxidative DNA damage

• Indoor air pollution occurs due to hazardous pollutants, such as tobacco smoke, pesticides and carbon oxides, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides arising from combustion of biomass fuels. Exposure to these pollutants results in respiratory conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections. Several of these infections are a result of inflammation and oxidative stress. Here we demonstrate the ability of N,N-diacetylchitobiose in preventing oxidative DNA damage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells exposed to biomass smoke extracts and cigarette smoke extract. The cytotoxic effect of these pollutants was determined by trypan blue exclusion assay in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, where cytotoxicity in decreasing order was  garette > wood > sawdust > cowdung. Cytotoxicity could be due to single- and double-strand breaks in the DNA as a result of oxidative stress. Comet assay measures the extent of DNA damage in the cells exposed to toxic agents. When mononuclear cells were treated with N,N-diacetylchitobiose and later exposed to smoke extracts, the extent of DNA damage decreased by 44.5% and 57.5% as compared to untreated cells. The protection offered by N,N-diacetylchitobiose towards oxidative DNA damage was at par with quercetin, a popular herbal medicine. Glutathione-S-transferase activity was determined in mononuclear cells exposed to smoke extracts, where oxidative stress in cells exposed to cigarette smoke extract was maximum. The present study demonstrates for the first time the ability of N,N -diacetylchitobiose to alleviate the harmful effects of indoor air pollutants.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Immunologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Immunology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Mikrobiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Microbiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Comet assay

indoor air pollution

biomass smoke

cigarette smoke

cytotoxicity

Natural sciences

Naturvetenskap

Bioteknik

Biotechnology

Fysisk aktivitet, idrott, hälsa och digital teknik

Physical Activity, IT and Health

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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art (ämneskategori)