Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
The Micronucleus Assay on Cryopreserved Whole Blood
Published on: February 23, 2024
Evaluation of micronuclei in tobacco users: A study in Punjabi population
Himanta Bansal1, V Simarpreet Sandhu, Rajat Bhandari
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, Ferozepur, Punjab, India.
Introduction:
The assessment of micronuclei in exfoliated cells is a promising tool for the study of epithelial carcinogens and can be used to detect chromosome breakage or mitotic interference, thought to be relevant to carcinogenesis.
Aim:
The present study aimed to detect micronuclei in exfoliated oral mucosal cells in individuals using various tobacco forms from the last 5 years.
Materials And Methods:
A total of 75 healthy male subjects (25 smokeless tobacco users, 25 smokers, and 25 non-tobacco users) were selected for the study. Smears were obtained with moistened wooden spatula from buccal mucosa and fixed with 95% alcohol. All the cytologic smears were stained by Papanicolaou technique. From each slide, ~1000 cells were examined under the 400× magnification and where micronucleated (MN) cells were located, they were examined under the 1000× magnification.
Result:
MN cells were found to be significantly higher in smokeless tobacco users than in smokers and controls.
Conclusion:
A positive correlation is found between increased micronucleus frequency and tobacco-using habits. So micronucleus assay can be used as a biomarker of genotoxicity.
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