Extracellular and intracellular anti-mutagenic effects of bile pigments in the Salmonella typhimurium reverse mutation assay.

C Mölzer, H Huber, K Diem, M Wallner, A C Bulmer, K-H Wagner

Toxicology in vitro : an international journal published in association with BIBRA 2013 Feb

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In vitro anti-genotoxic properties of bile pigments have been explored and confirmed recently. Despite these reports mechanisms to explain DNA protection by endogenous bile pigments remain unclear. Surprisingly, the quantification of cellular pigment absorption which could represent a fundamental prerequisite for intracellular (e.g., anti-mutagenic) effects, has not been explored. Therefore, we aimed to measure the amounts of un-/conjugated bilirubin as well as biliverdin absorbed into colonies of Salmonella typhimurium, utilising HPLC analyses, and to observe whether intracellular compound concentrations could predict anti-genotoxic effects. HPLC analyses confirmed that bacterial bile pigment absorption was concentration-dependent. Plate bile pigment concentrations were inversely associated with genotoxicity of all tested mutagens, irrespective of strain and test conditions. However, protection against frame-shift mutation in strain TA98 most strongly depended on the bacterial absorption of bilirubin and biliverdin, which indicates that bile pigments can protect by intercepting mutations extracellularly and specifically inhibit frame-shift mutations intracellularly. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

C Mölzer, H Huber, K Diem, M Wallner, A C Bulmer, K-H Wagner. Extracellular and intracellular anti-mutagenic effects of bile pigments in the Salmonella typhimurium reverse mutation assay. Toxicology in vitro : an international journal published in association with BIBRA. 2013 Feb;27(1):433-7