Lucia Rocco, Carmela Peluso, Fulvio Cesaroni, Natascia Morra, Daniela Cesaroni and Vincenzo Stingo
Environmental pollution of waters caused by the release of chemical substances is becoming a threat for both man and the environment. The active pharmacological agents discharged into the waters, can interact with the cell DNA and induce genetic damage. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the potential genotoxic effects of nine pharmacological agents, Atorvastatin, Sildenafil citrate, Gemfibrozil, Ibuprofen, Atenolol, Ofloxacin, Carbamazepine, Bezafibrate, and Diclofenac present in the waste waters of some Italian treatment plants. Genotoxic effects of the nine pharmacological compounds were evaluated by using four tests, the Comet Assay, the Diffusion Assay, the TUNEL test, and RAPD-PCR technique. The sperm cells were exposed in vitro for three different times: 15, 30 and 45 min at the mean concentrations detected in the waste waters. All drugs tested induced a statistically significant reduction in the integrity of sperm DNA and high fragmentation values. The drugs found in the wastewater were then able to induce damage to sperm DNA, highlighted in a very early stage of cell suffering, even before they are capable of inducing other metabolic disorders.
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