In vitro genotoxicity of microcystin-RR on primary cultured rat hepatocites and Hep G2 cell line detected by Comet assay

Microcystins are hepatotoxic cyclic heptapeptides produced by different species of bloom forming cyanobacteria (Microcystis, Anabaena, Nostoc Oscillatoria). The primary target of the toxin is the liver. The uptake of microcystins into the hepatocites occurs via carrier-mediated transport system. Microcystins cause cytoskeletal damage, necrosis and pooling of blood in the liver, with a consequent increase in the liver weight. The cause of death is a massive hepatic haemorrhage. Microcystins are inhibitors of serine/threonine protein phosphatases 1 and 2A and act as tumor-promoters. Ito and coworkers demonstrated that microcystins induced neoplastic nodules in the liver after repeated injections without an initiator, which indicates that they might act also as tumor initiators. The aim of our studies was to elucidate possible genotoxic effects of microcystin-RR (MCYST-RR) at molecular level using Comet assay. The Comet assay is a sensitive method for detection of DNA strand breaks at the level of a single cell. DNA single-strand breaks can lead to mutations, which are the first step in carcinogensis. (author)