Antioxidants and UV-induced genotoxicity.

Genetic damage in mouse splenocytes exposed to UVA and UVB irradiation in vitro was demonstrated to be expressed as micronuclei in cell cultures stimulated to divide and blocked at cytokinesis. Because of the involvement of active forms of oxygen in UV-related genotoxicity, the present study investigated the photoprotective effect with respect to micronuclei, of the antioxidant couple vitamin C/E administered to mice in vivo or to cell cultures in vitro prior to UV irradiation of splenocytes in vitro. Significant protection was observed in both studies by antioxidant pretreatment, which highlights the importance of active oxygen in UV-induced genetic damage and suggests a significant role for nutritional antioxidants in sun damage prophylaxis.