Acetylsalicylic acid exhibits anticlastogenic effects on cultured human lymphocytes exposed to doxorubicin

Abstract Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with many pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic. Many studies have suggested the possible efficiency of ASA and other NSAIDs in preventing cancer. ASA could also have antimutagenic and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible clastogenic and anticlastogenic effects of different concentrations of ASA on doxorubicin-induced chromosomal aberrations in human lymphocytes. Human blood samples were obtained from six healthy, non-smoking volunteers; and the chromosomal aberration assay was carried out using conventional techniques. The parameters analyzed were mitotic index, total number of chromosomal aberrations and percentage of aberrant metaphases. The concentrations of ASA (25, 50 or 100 μg/mL) tested in combination with DXR (0.2 μg/mL) were established on the basis of the results of the mitotic index. The treatment with ASA alone was neither cytotoxic nor clastogenic ( p  > 0.01). In lymphocyte cultures treated with different combinations of ASA and DXR, a significant decrease in the total number of chromosome aberrations was observed compared with DXR alone ( p