Introduction: This study was performed to establish a baseline value of micronucleus frequency in buccal cells and to estimate the impact of the most common factors (sex and age, and smoking) on micronucleus and degenerative nuclear alteration frequencies in the sample of healthy Bosnian subjects.Methods: The Buccal Micronucleus Cytome (BMCyt) assay, based on scoring not only micronucleus frequency but also other genome damage markers, dead or degenerated cells, provides a measure of cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.Results: Our results showed the baseline buccal micronucleus frequency was 0.135% or 1.35‰, as well as positive correlations between micronucleus frequencies and formations of degenerative nuclear alterations (nuclear buds, karyolytic and karyorrhectic cells). The number of micronuclei in buccal cells was significantly higher in females than in males. There was positive association between the age and frequency of analysed cytogenetic biomarkers. Buccal cell micronuclei and degenerative nuclear alternations were more frequent among cigarette smokers than non-smokers and significantly higher in female smokers than in male smokers. Cytogenetic damages showed significantly positive correlation between intensity of smoking and the number of nuclear alterations. The years of smoking had a significant influence not only on the number of nuclear alterations but also in micronuclei and nuclear buds in buccal cells.Conclusions: The sex influences the number of micronuclei in human buccal cells. The ageing increased the number of micronuclei and other biomarkers of DNA damage. The cigarette smoking significantly increases the frequencies of micronuclei and nuclear buds, pyknotic, karyolytic and karyorrhectic cells.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Alprazolam is a triazolobenzodiazepine used in panic disorders and other anxiety states. Target organ of Alprazolam is CNS, causing depression of respiration and consciousness. Aim: This study aimed to estimate the genotoxic potential of Alprazolam using Allium cepa test. Methods: Allium cepa is one of the most suitable plants for detecting different types of xenobiotics. The test enables the assessment of different genetic endpoints making possible damage to the DNA of humans to be predicted. Results: Alprazolam induced chromosomal (anaphase bridges, breaks, lagging and stickiness, abnormal spiralisation, multipolarity and polyploidy) and cytological aberrations, especially nuclear alterations (nuclear buds, fragmented nucleus and apoptotic bodies, cells without nucleus, binucleated and micronucleated cells), morphological alterations in shape and size of cells, spindle disturbance and polar deviation in root tip meristem cells of Allium cepa at all tested concentrations. Alprazolam also caused significant inhibition of mitotic index in these cells. Conclusion: These changes in cells are indicators of genotoxic potential of Alprazolam suggesting a need for further in vitro studies on animal and human lymphocytes as well as in vivo studies.

The genotoxic effects of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) on human lymphocytes in vitro were estimated by analyzing and identifying various chromosome abnormalities, in relation to the concentration of Vitamin C. Testing concentrations of Vitamin C induced different aberrations including the impairment of spindle function. The spindle disturbances can result in mitotic arrest, multipolar spindles and multipolar segregation, errors in chromosome segregation, formation of chromosome bridges and chromosome laggards. The most frequent irregularities were found in anaphase and telophase. A certain number of lymphocytes were arrested at anaphase or telophase (in colchicine-untreated cultures of human lymphocytes). Testing concentrations of ascorbic acid did not induce a significant increase in the number of aneuploid mitoses and were not clastogenic except at the highest concentration (1,000 microg/ml) in colchicine-treated cultures, and in colchicine-untreated cultures of human lymphocytes the pulverization of chromosome was observed. Vitamin C changed the mitotic index value of lymphocytes notably at the higher concentrations (250, 500 and 1,000 microg/ml).