Endocrine Abstracts

Oestrogen has very complex effects on the CNS. It protects neurons from noxious effects of β amyloid in vitro, ameliorates the cerebral metabolism and increases the level of acetylcholine in the basal forebrain and hippocampus. Its beneficial impact in Alzheimer disease may be attributed in part to its antioxidant activity. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that oestrogens may exhibit genotoxic effects, especially at elevated tissue concentrations. Therefore, the aim of the present investigation was to determine wether oestradiol induces DNA damage in whole blood leukocytes from healthy young females and males, healthy elderly females and males and females and males with Alzheimer disease. All experiments were performed using the alkaline version of the Comet assay (single cell gel electrophoresis). Cell viability was determined by Trypan blue exclusion assay. A significant increase of DNA migration in the Comet assay was observed in leukocytes of all treated groups (young and elderly females, young and elderly males, females and males with Alzheimer disease) at all concentrations of oestradiol (50, 100 and 250 μM) used in this investigation. In all experiments the cell viability was over 80%. Therefore, it can be concluded that leukocytes are sensitive to oestradiol in the Comet assay regardless of gender, age and health condition of examined subjects.