Investigation of Genotoxic Damage in Overweight Individuals Using the Comet Assay

Abstract

AbstractObjective: Research has revealed that obesity changed the repair mechanism of DNA chain breaks. Also, the increase in body mass index is found out to be associated with genomic instability. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the possible genotoxic damage of overweight individuals.Material and Methods: In the present study the level of genotoxic damage was calculated in Turkish adult peripheral blood samples using Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis assay. The results of possible DNA damage levels belonging to overweight people were compared statistically by SPSS analysis program with the results of normal-weight people.Results: Fifty five volunteers (21 normal weight and 34 overweight); 23 women, mean age=30.13±7.97 and 32 men, mean age=38.13±10.63 participated in the study. Tail moment is an average of 1.21±0.45 in all individuals. Tail moment value was found of overweight people as 1.29±0.46. When this value was compared with the results of individuals with normal weight (1.09±0.40), statistically no significant difference was determined (p>0.05). According to results, no significant difference was found between the increase in body mass index and DNA damage (p>0.05).Conclusion: The present study is the first study which gives information about the level of DNA damage relation with being overweight in adults of Turkey. In the presented study, it was determined that there was no relationship between body mass index and genotoxic damage according to the findings of the comet assay, and we recommended that new studies should be conducted in the future to investigate the level of DNA damage with different genotoxicity tests.