Mitigation by vitamin C of the genotoxic effects of nicotine in mice, assessed by the comet assay and micronucleus induction.

Nicotine has been reported to cause acute toxicity and to present long-term risks, such as chromosomal damage and genetic instability. The genotoxicity of nicotine may be mediated partly by an oxidative mechanism. We have evaluated the effects of the antioxidant vitamin C on nicotine-induced genotoxicity in mice. The comet assay and the micronucleus test were used to assess the effects of nicotine (15mg/kg) at different exposure times (2, 4, and 24h in the comet assay; 24h in the micronucleus test). Pretreatment with vitamin C 24h before nicotine exposure strongly protected mice against nicotine-induced DNA damage.