Fluoranthene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and a principal constituent of PAH-contaminated aquatic systems. In the present study, fluorescein diacetate uptake and the Comet assay were used to assess the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of fluoranthene in HaCaT (human adult low calcium high temperature) cells in the presence or absence of ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation. Exposure of cells to 0.1, 0.25, 0.75, 2, and 5 microM fluoranthene alone for 30 min or to 6.1 +/- 0.07 J/cm2 UVA alone did not cause cytotoxicity or cellular DNA damage. However, concomitant exposure to both caused a nonlinear dose-response in cytotoxicity to HaCat cells. The same exposure conditions also resulted in a dose-responsive DNA damage in HaCaT cells. Because DNA damage mainly was detected at relatively high levels of cytotoxicity, we cannot rule out the possibility that it occurred as a consequence of cellular toxicity mechanisms.
Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.