Detection of DNA Strand Breaks in Isolated Mussel (Mytilus edulisL.) Digestive Gland Cells Using the “Comet” Assay

Isolated mussel (Mytilus edulisL.) digestive gland cells were analyzed using the single-cell gel electrophoresis or “comet” assay to assess the ability of potential aquatic contaminants to induce DNA strand breaks (SBs) and to investigate the potential application of this technique as part of an aquatic biomonitoring regime. Freshly prepared cell suspensions from digestive gland were exposedin vitroto hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 0–200 μM), 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2[5H]-furanone (MX, 0–200 μM), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP, 0–200 μM), 1-nitropyrene (1-NP, 0–250 μM) and nitrofurantoin (NF, 0–1000 μM) for 1 h in the dark at 15°C in the presence of the DNA repair inhibitor cytosine-β-D-arabinofuranoside (araC). DNA strand breakage was measured using the comet assay. There were significant concentration-dependent increases in the percentage of DNA in the comet tail (mean values±SD) for all doses compared with controls (P