DANIELA CIORBA*, V. MORARIU**, C. COSMA*, SILVIA NEAMŢU**, CORINA CUCEU*

* Environmental Science Faculty, “Babeş-Bolyai” University, 30, Fântânele st, Cluj-Napoca Romania,
** National R & D Institute of Isotopic & Molecular Technologies, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract. In vitro ageing of human lymphocytes is expected in cell cultures at a temperature of 23 °C, while the necessary condition for cell division is 37 °C. The number of lesions in stage 4 during 3 days of aging was found to increase. Also an obvious decrease of lesions in stage 1 was noticed. This has a significant influence in the final lesion score, and tail factor. When the aging process of lymphocytes took place in radon atmosphere, a significant acceleration was noticed (while the temperature of 23 °C remains unchanged). The increasing of the aging process is due to a significant acceleration of the swallowing process. We further shows that use of the Colin’s formula to quantify induced DNA lesions during aging in vitro is not sufficient because we cannot see a linear dependence between estimated parameters: score lesions, tail factor and the exposure time. An additional argument to this was brought also by the aging process during radon exposure. Even if the Comet assay is suitable for DNA damage, it must be improved by cell viability studies and cells counting.
Key words: In vitro ageing, lymphocytes, radon, Comet assay, interfering, DNA lesions.

Corresponding author’s e-mail: ciorbad @yahoo.com

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