Clastogenic and genotoxic activity of high concentrations of Agaricus brasiliensis aqueous extract and different responses when associated to ARA-C and 3deot DNA repair inhibitors, in vitro.

Abstract

The Agaricus brasiliensis Wasser & Didukh – Ab (=Agaricus blazei Murrill ss. Heinemann) is a basidiomycete that has been world wide consumed on the fight and treatment of several diseases. In this study, ovary cells (CHO-k1) in Chinese hamster, the clastogenic and genotoxic effects of Ab high concentrations and its protector potential, were tested, through the chromosome aberration (AC) and comet assays (SCGE), associated to two DNA repair blockers (cytosine arabinoside triphosphate – Ara- C, DNA polymerase a inhibitor and 3’ deoxithymidine 5’ triphosphate – 3DeoT, DNA polymerase b inhibitor) at the presence or not of an alkylant agent (methylmethanesulfonate - MMS). In the clastogenicity test, it was verified that the 0.2 and 0.4% concentrations did not seem to be damage inducers, unlike the higher concentration one (0.6%). On the genotoxicity treatments in SCGE, the 0.2% concentration did not show genotoxic activity, unlike the 0.4 and 0.6% concentrations, which were effective DNA damage inducers. The anticlastogenicity results indicate that, on most of the performed treatments, the Ab aqueous extract did not show protective activity against DNA damages induced by Ara-C and Ara-C + MMS. Through the SCGE, Ab, at the three tested concentrations, it did not show antigenotoxic activity. The data suggest precaution on the consumption and ingestion of Ab by human beings, especially at high concentrations.