Protective Effects of the Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 against Chromosome Damage Induced by Manganese Sulfate in Cultured Mouse Spleen Cells.

Abstract

The present study was carried out to evaluate the cytogenetic effect of manganese sulfate (MnSO4) in cultured mouse spleen cells and the possible protective effect of folic acid (FA) and/or vitamin B12 (VB12) on cell cultures treated with MnSO4. Cultured mouse spleen cells were treated with MnSO4 at 4 concentrations (10-6, 5×10-6, 10-5, 10-4). FA at 10-5, 5×10-5 and 10-4M, and VB12 at 5×10-6, 10-5 and 5×10-5 M were used for testing the protective effect on chromosome damage induced by MnSO4. The highest dose (10-4 M) of MnSO4 were treated simultaneously with FA and/or VB12. The cultures were set up for 24 h. The results indicate that MnSO4 alone induced a concentration-related increase in the percentage of chromosome aberrations. Both FA and VB12 reduced the percentage of aberrant cells in a significant (p<0.01) and dose-dependent manner. However, FA combined with VB12 caused a highest percentage of reduction (62.20-71.94%). Under the present experimental conditions, FA and VB12 are capable of reducing the cytogenetic damage induced by MnSO4 and appear to be an antimutagenic agent.