L-asparaginase is an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing the substrate asparagine in aspartic acid and ammonia. Due to this mechanism of action observed, L-asparaginase is widely used in the treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, since these cells use asparagine for their survival. Because it is frequently used as an antineoplastic, it is necessary to evaluate its genotoxic effects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate cellular DNA damage after exposure to L-asparaginase produced by Streptomyces ansochromogenes UFPEDA 3420. NCIH-292, MCF-7 and MOLT-4 neoplastic cell lines and normal PBMC cells were used. L-Asparaginase used in this study was produced by actinobacteria S. ansochromogenes UFPEDA 3420, isolated and purified by chromatographic methods. L-Asparaginase induced micronucleus formation in PBMC cells and tumor lines when compared to the negative control. These data suggest that L-Asp appears to have a genotoxic effect very close to the positive control in normal cells (p < 0.05). The level of genomic damage measured by DNA breaks in alkaline SCGE assay was detected from the lowest concentration (12.5 µg/mL) to the highest concentration (50 µg/mL) for tumor cell lines and PBMC. In view of the above, new genotoxic studies will be carried out to better elucidate L-Asparaginase and its mutagenic potential, still unknown, enough for this drug to be safely used in conventional antineoplastic therapies.
Keywords: Genotoxicity; Human and normal tumor cell lines; L-Asparaginase.