Estudios de genotoxicidad de antibióticos antitumorales en células eucariotas

during the past 20 years, the laboratory of cytogenetics and mutagenesis at imbice has developed various studies to analyze the genotoxicity caused by different chemical mutagens to eukaryotic cells. research has mainly focused on the analysis of the genotoxic mechanisms involved and the effects caused by three antibiotics of known antitumor properties, bleomycin (blm), streptonigrin (en), and streptozotocin (ez). several cell lines and human peripheral blood lymphocytes were used as experimental models. currently, our studies are devoted to analyze the effects of those antibiotics on telomeres and interstitial telomeric sequences of vertebrate chromosomes. since blm and en exert direct damage on dna and chromosomes by free radicals release, these antibiotics are considered radiomimetic compounds. ez is frequently used to induce diabetes mellitus in laboratory rats, and though it exerts its genotoxic action partially by free radical release, in contrast to blm and en, it is an alkylating agent. the present work summarizes the most significant results obtained during the last 15 years by the research group at the laboratory of cytogenetics and mutagenesis (imbice) on the genotoxic effects of the antibiotics above mentioned.