DNA Damage Caused by Photoexcited Ketoprofen Measured by the Comet Assay

Abstract

Since most of the studies looking at DNA damage from Non–steroidal Anti–Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) focus mainly on DNA in solution, without the DNA in its natural environment, it is difficult to extrapolate the noxious effects of NSAIDs to cellular DNA. The Comet Assay is a novel technique which allows for the detection of DNA damage at the single cell level as well as allowing for the cellular functions to go uninterrupted. Ketoprofen was the drug of choice because its photochemistry is fairly well understood, it is one of the most frequently prescribed drugs in clinical practice and it is one of the most frequently reported in phototoxic reactions.¹ The mononuclear fraction of human white blood cells isolated from human whole blood was used as the source of DNA in order to judge the effects on the human immune system. Solar simulated radiation emitted from a Xenon arc lamp consisting of a UVC filter was used as a UVA/UVB source. The photochemistry of Ketoprofen will be explained, the details of the Comet Assay and the reasoning leading up to the different experiments performed to quantify the amount of DNA damage caused from the interaction of Ketoprofen with UVA/UVB and DNA.