Micronuclei in lymphocytes and exfoliated buccal cells of postmenopausal women with dietary changes in folate

• Published in: Mutation research Vol. 417; no. 2; pp. 101 - 114
• Main Authors: Titenko-Holland, Nina, Jacob, Robert A, Shang, Nong, Balaraman, Anita, Smith, Martyn T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 11.09.1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Buccal cell; Diet; Dietary folate; Female; Folic Acid - administration & dosage; Folic Acid Deficiency - blood; Folic Acid Deficiency - pathology; Food toxicology; Humans; Lymphocyte; Lymphocytes - ultrastructure; Medical sciences; Menopause; Micronucleus frequency; Micronucleus Tests; Middle Aged; Mouth Mucosa - ultrastructure; Postmenopausal woman; Toxicology; Micronucleus frequency; Dietary folate; Lymphocyte; Postmenopausal woman; Buccal cell; Chromosomal aberration; Human; Mutagenicity testing; Toxicity; Supplemented diet; Folic acid; Cyanocobalamin; Folate; Oral cavity; Micronucleus; Epithelial cell; Female; Food
• ISSN: 1383-5718; 0027-5107; 1879-3592
• DOI: 10.1016/S1383-5718(98)00104-1

Folate deficiency is associated with anemia, birth defects, cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine if a moderate folate deficiency during controlled changes in folate intake would affect chromosomal damage in lymphocytes and buccal cells. A study of nine healthy postmenopausal women volunteers (age 49–63 years) was carried out in a metabolic unit (baseline week with folate intake of 195 μg/day, five-week depletion at 56 μg/day, and gradual repletion including four weeks at 111 μg/day, 11 days at 286 μg/day and 9 days at 516 μg/day). Plasma folate, vitamin B-12, and homocysteine were measured weekly. Cytogenetic damage was assessed by scoring micronucleus (MN) frequency in lymphocytes and buccal cells three times: (1) at the beginning of the study, (2) at the end of depletion, and (3) after repletion. The MN frequency increased in binucleated lymphocytes, as well as in all lymphocytes, after depletion ( p=0.037), and later decreased following repletion ( p=0.028). Both kinetochore-positive and kinetochore-negative MN were increased after depletion ( p=0.015 and 0.028), but after repletion only the change in kinetochore-positive MN was statistically significant ( p=0.048). The main variables affecting MN were: (1) vitamin B-12 level, (2) plasma folate level, and (3) baseline frequency of MN. The MN frequency in exfoliated buccal cells was decreased after dietary supplementation of 516 μg/day folate ( p=0.010). Thus, low folate, without clinical symptoms of anemia, results in higher levels of cytogenetic damage in both the blood and oral cavity of postmenopausal women.