Effect of afobazole on genotoxic effects of tobacco smoke in the placenta and embryonic tissues of rats.

The DNA comet assay was used to evaluate the severity of genotoxic changes in embryonic tissues and placenta of rats daily exposed to tobacco smoke per se or in combination with an anxiolytic agent afobazole. The exposure to tobacco smoke (4 cigarettes containing 13 mg tar and 1 mg nicotine per 72 dm(3)) for 20 min on days 1-13 of pregnancy increased the degree of DNA damage and elevation of apoptotic DNA comets in cells of the placenta and embryo from pregnant rats. Afobazole (1 and 10 mg/kg orally) reduced the genotoxic effect of tobacco smoke and decreased the amount of apoptotic DNA comets in placental tissue and embryonic tissue from rats.