Abstract

EFFECT OF ASCORBIC ACID PROPHYLAXIS ON THE FREQUENCY OF CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS IN PERIPHERAL LYMPHOCYTES OF WOMEN BIDI ROLLERS EXPOSED TO TOBACCO DUST

K. Rudrama Devi* and P. Minny Jael

Abstract

A study was conducted on a group of employees from small scale bidi rolling industries in three different districts of Telangana state were tested for comet tail lengths that are well established as indicators of early biological effects. To investigate whether occupational exposure to tobacco dust is genotoxic, a total of 84 women bidi workers and 50 control groups of individuals in the age group of 16 to 65 years and 6-30 yrs of tobacco dust exposure were recruited; a questionnaire based survey was conducted. In the present study, the assessment of Primary DNA damage hosted by peripheral blood leukocytes of workers employed in tobacco based bidi rolling industry was performed using chromosomal aberrations. A population monitoring study was conducted in human lymphocytes by analysis of chromosomal aberrations to investigate whether occupational exposure to tobacco dust is genotoxic in women bidi rollers exposed to tobacco work environment. There was significant increase in the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in human lymphocytes of women bidi rollers. In addition, a study on the antimutagenic effect of Vitamin C administered orally to women bidi rollers exposed to tobacco dust was investigated by measuring the frequency of chromosomal aberrations had a three month daily intake of Vitamin C. The results clearly showed a significant reduction on chromosomal aberrations frequency evaluated after vitamin-C treatment. The results of the present study indicate the protective nature of AA supplementation in Women bidi rollers exposed to tobacco dust.

Keywords: Chromosomal aberrations, ascorbic acid, women bidi rollers.