Extent of DNA damage in density-separated trout erythrocytes assessed by the 'comet' assay

The 'comet' assay is being increasingly employed for evaluating DNA damage in biological systems. Using this technique. we examined DNA damage in whole and in density-separated trout erythrocytes. Results clearly show that all the three considered parameters (tail length, tail intensity and tail moment) increased with the density of the fractions, possibly reflecting different degrees of DNA damage. Probably, this behaviour is due to different periods of exposure of the density fractions to the hazard of active oxygen radicals; older cells have been exposed to oxidative stress for a longer time. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.