Domoic Acid Induces Direct DNA Damage and Apoptosis in Caco-2 Cells: Recent Advances.

The article discusses a study on the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of domoic acid (DA) on human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2) cells. DA, a neurotoxin produced by sea-water phytoplankton, is the principal toxin responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). It talks about the different assays used for the Caco-2 cells. Findings revealed that increasing concentrations of DA elicited cytotoxic responses in Caco-2 cells after a 24-hour exposure period. The induction of apoptosis has been confirmed by acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining following DNA fragment gel electrophoresis. The authors conclude that DA causes DNA damages in Caco-2 cells already at low concentrations.