Anti-genotoxic effect of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate on genotoxicity to human lymphocytes induced by aflatoxin B-1

The anti-genotoxic potential of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) was investigated using sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) induced by aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) as genotoxic endpoint in human lymphocytes. Whole blood samples from two healthy male donors were used for this experiment and the effects of different concentrations of HSCAS (5 x 10(-6) and 1 x 10(-5) M) and AFB(1) (1, 5 and 10 mu M) were tested. The present results established that the frequencies of SCEs (at doses of 5 and 10 mu M except for 1 mu M) in lymphocytes were significantly increased by AFB(1) compared to controls. When HSCAS was added alone at a molar ratio of 5 x 10(-6) and 1 x 10(-5), lymphocytes did not show significant increases in SCE frequencies, but SCE frequencies induced by the various concentrations of AFB 1 could be significantly reduced by the presence of HSCAS (at both doses). In fact, HSCAS at 1 x 10(-5)M completely inhibited SCE formations caused by AFB(1). These results suggest for the first time, that HSCAS can antagonize the ability of AFB(1) to cause DNA damage that leads to the formation of SCEs.