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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Quantification of three DNA Lesions by Mass Spectrometry and Assessment of Their Levels in Tissues of Mice Exposed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter
12:15

Quantification of three DNA Lesions by Mass Spectrometry and Assessment of Their Levels in Tissues of Mice Exposed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter

Published on: May 29, 2019

Nitrofurazone-induced DNA damage to tissues of mice

P L Olive

    Chemico-Biological Interactions
    |March 1, 1978
    PubMed

    Insights

    Nitrofurazone causes DNA damage in mice by reducing DNA levels, linked to its metabolic breakdown. This drug

    Area of Science:

    • Pharmacology and Toxicology
    • Molecular Biology
    • Genetics

    Background:

    • Nitrofurans are known to cause cytotoxicity and DNA damage, often linked to their metabolic reduction.
    • Previous in vitro studies suggest a correlation between nitrofurans' metabolic fate and their toxic effects.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the in vivo effects of nitrofurazone on DNA integrity in mice.
    • To correlate DNA damage with the metabolic reduction of nitrofurazone in various tissues.

    Main Methods:

    • Mice were fed a diet containing 0.1% nitrofurazone, and the disappearance of stable [3H]thymidine labelled DNA was monitored in tissues.
    • DNA single-strand breaks in cultured mouse L cells were assessed after incubation with tissue slices that had been exposed to nitrofurazone.

    Main Results:

    • Nitrofurazone significantly increased the rate of labelled DNA disappearance from mouse tissues within 25 days.
    • The extent of DNA loss correlated with the rate of nitrofurazone's metabolic reduction in each tissue.
    • Nitrofurazone metabolites produced by mouse tissue slices induced DNA single-strand breaks in cultured L cells, with damage levels dependent on metabolite production.

    Conclusions:

    • Nitrofurazone induces DNA damage in vivo, evidenced by DNA loss and strand breaks.
    • The metabolic reduction of nitrofurazone is a key factor in its DNA-damaging effects.
    • Tissue-specific metabolic capacity influences the degree of nitrofurazone-induced DNA damage.

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