Micronuclei kinetics of exfoliated urothelial cells

Micronuclei observed in exfoliated cells result from DNA-damage of basal epithelium's cells by mutagens. Exfoliated urothelial cells can be collected by non-invasive procedure and may be used as target site to identify genotoxic effects of chemicals. Kinetic studies are important for any biomarker, especially those in which tissue differentiation and maturation processes will heavily influence the time between induction of damage and collection of damaged cells for analysis. This manuscript details the result of a longitudinal study of micronuclei induction in cells isolated from urine samples of 4 healthy women over 6 consecutive days. Three of them were former smokers. Results suggested that micronucleated cell rates were not influenced neither by the day nor by the time of sampling.