A comparative study of micronucleus frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes of human subjects given dietary cis, trans and saturated fat.

The micronucleus test using peripheral blood lymphocytes has been used to study the clastogenic effects of saturated, cis or trans fatty acids in human volunteers. Consumption of diets rich in either saturated fats (palmitic acid), monounsaturated cis fats (oleic acid) or monounsaturated trans fats (elaidic acid) for 3 wk had no effect on either the number of micronuclei or the frequency of micronucleated cells in lymphocytes in culture. This study adds to the accumulating body of evidence to suggest that dietary intake of trans fatty acids is not especially linked to genetic damage.

The influence of topical and systemic vitamin E on ultraviolet light-induced skin damage in hairless mice.

Hairless mice were fed diets containing different levels of vitamin E or received topical applications of the vitamin for three weeks before a single exposure equivalent to one minimal erythematous dose of ultraviolet light provided by an artificial sunlight source. Lipid peroxidation and suppression of incorporation of thymidine into DNA were used to estimate the degree of damage caused by the radiation. Restriction of dietary vitamin E had little effect on degree of epidermal lipid peroxidation or on thymidine incorporation into DNA.