Abstract
Ribavirin is an important component of the treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and, in combination with the new direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents, comprises the major current therapeutic regimens. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity and chromosomal instability induced by ribavirin using the in vitro cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMN-Cyt) assay in two cell lines with different expression levels of drug-metabolizing enzymes: human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells. HepG2 cells were treated with nine concentrations (from 15.3 μg/ml to 3.9 mg/ml) and CHO-K1 cells were exposed to eight concentrations (from 15.3 μg/ml to 1.9 mg/ml) of ribavirin for 24 h. Ribavirin inhibited cell proliferation in both cell lines, but at different concentrations: 3.9 mg/ml in HepG2 and 244.2 μg/ml in CHO-K1 cells. No significant differences were observed regarding aspects of cell death in HepG2 and CHO-K1 cells, reflecting the absence of cytotoxic effects associated to ribavirin. Ribavirin did not increase the frequency of nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) and nuclear bud (NBUD). However, when compared to the negative control, a significant increase in micronuclei (MNi) frequency was observed in both cell lines. However, chromosomal instability was induced by higher concentrations of ribavirin in HepG2 cells (from 61.1 to 976.8 μg/ml), compared with CHO-K1 cells (15.3 and 30.5 μg/ml). These results demonstrate the potential of ribavirin to promote chromosomal instability, and suggest that cells with different expressions of drug-metabolizing enzymes show different susceptibility to ribavirin effects.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.