The role of Catecol and Free Radicals in Benzene Toxicity: An oxidative DNA Pathway

GEORGE BARRETO, DIEGO MADUREIRA, FRANCISCO CAPANI, LAURA AON-BERTOLINO, EZEQUIEL SARACENO, LISANDRO GIRALDEZ-ALVAREZ

ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS

WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Año: 2009 p. 771 - 780

0893-6692

Benzene is a widespread volatile compound andan environmental contaminant. Since it causes importanttoxic effects in workers exposed to low levels,long-term exposure to this compound hasbeen extensively studied. Leukemia, blood disorders,bone marrow depression, and some types ofcancer are directly related to benzene-initiatedtoxicity. Bioactivation of benzene can lead to theformation of hazardous metabolites such as phenol,hydroquinone, and catechol. Catechol formssemiquinones and reactive quinones that are presumedto play an important role in the generationof reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS formationcan directly induce single and double strandbreaks in the DNA, oxidized nucleotides, andhyper-recombination, and consequently producesdeleterious genetic changes. In this review, wehave addressed the cytotoxic effects of benzeneand its main metabolite, catechol, focusing on theoxidative pathway and further DNA damage. Environ.Mol. Mutagen. 50:771–780,2009. VVC 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.