Protective effect of curcumin against formaldehyde-induced genotoxicity in A549 Cell Lines

Formaldehyde is ubiquitous in the environment. It is known to be a genotoxic substance. We hypothesized that reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation are involved in formaldehyde-induced genotoxicity in human lung cancer cell lines A549. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of antioxidant on formaldehyde-induced genotoxicity in A549 Cell Lines. Formaldehyde exposure caused induction of DNA-protein cross-links (DPCs). Curcumin is an important antioxidant. Formaldehyde significantly increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. In addition, the activation of NF-B and AP-1 were induced by formaldehyde treatment. Pretreatment with curcumin counteracted formaldehyde-induced oxidative stress, ameliorated DPCs and attenuated activation of NF-B and AP-1 in A549 Cell Lines. These results, taken together, suggest that formaldehyde induced genotoxicity through its ROS and lipid peroxidase activity and caused DPCs effects in A549 cells. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.