Nickel(II) affects poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-mediated DNA repair in normal and cancer cells

Abstract

Nickel(II) can be genotoxic, but the mechanism of its genotoxicity is not fully understood and the process of DNA repair may be considered as its potential target. We studied the effect of nickel chloride on the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-mediated repair of DNA damaged by γ-radiation and idarubicin with the alkaline comet assay in normal and cancer cells. Our results indicate that nickel chloride at very low, non-cytotoxic concentration of 1 μM can affect PARP-mediated DNA repair of lesions evoked by idarubicin and γ-radiation. We also suggest that in the quiescent lymphocytes treated with γ-radiation, nickel(II) could interfere with DNA repair process independent of PARP. © 2006 Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung.