Micronuclei in Diabetics and Smokers

Abstract

Aim: This article reviews the MN assay with respect to oral buccal mucosa, which has been used since the 1980s to demonstrate the characteristics of micronuclei and frequency of micronuclei in smokers and diabetes. Objective: To compare the frequency of micronuclei and metanucleated anomalies in the oral mucosa of smokers and diabetes. Background: Micronuclei are structures that present after genomic damages to the cells. They are fragments or whole chromosomes, which did not reach spindle poles during mitosis and remained encapsulated at telophase in a separate nucleus. Micronuclei frequency is a sensitive biomarker used to evaluate the genotoxicity induced by xenobiotics. The buccal cell micronucleus (MN) assay was first proposed in 1983. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with a high risk of health complications, mainly to excessive free radical (FRs) production that could result in an increased frequency of micronuclei. Carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds, are responsible for the induction of micronuclei. These compounds are produced from nicotine by bacterial or enzymatic activity. The same formation occurs in the mouth under the influence of saliva. Reason: To estimate the frequency of micronuclei in diabetes and smokers in order to access the genetic damage