Formation of DNA adducts by the hydroxyanthraquinone lucidin

Lucidin is the genotoxic principle of madder roots. To investgate whether lucidin, indeed, interacts covalently with DNA, we incubated the compound for 3 hours with DNA of polydGpolydC and S9 mix and examined the reisolated nucleic acids by 32P-postlabelling. Similar adduct patterns, containing up to 5 spots, were obtained on PEI-cellulose tic with DNA or polydGpolydC. Formation of DNA adducts was also observed after treatment with lucidin of primary rat hepatocytes in culture. Finally, DNA adducts were detected in liver, kidney, duodenum and colon of male Parkes mice that had been treated orally for 4 days with lucidin, its glycoside lucidinprimeveroside or Rubia TeepR, a pharmaceutical preparation containing the two compounds. These results suggest that the therapeutic use of lucidin may constitute a carcinogenic risk.