The pro-mutagenic oxidative DNA lesion, 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) has been a subject of numerous studies. However, the absolute 8-oxodG levels in tissue DNA reported by various methods have been debated due to its artifactual production during DNA isolation and/or the DNA processing. We have investigated factors that may result in such artifacts during isolation and analysis of DNA as well as means for its prevention. 8-OxodG content was measured by a recently described TLC enrichment-mediated 32P-postlabeling. Liver DNA from 3 month-old, female Sprague-Dawley rats was isolated by a standard solvent-extraction procedure (phenol, phenol:Sevag, and Sevag; 23°C), a modified solvent-extraction procedure (phenol:Sevag, and Sevag; 4°C; KCl-SDS-protein precipitation) or sodium iodide extraction procedure. 8-OxodG was analyzed in the DNA by the 32P-postlabeling assay using a fluorescent light box during the workup, as well as in its absence. The 8-oxodG levels, when the fluorescent light box was used, were in similar range irrespective of the DNA isolation procedure (16.4±1.6 to 28.7±6 8-oxodG/106 nucleotides). However, the values were significantly lower (3.1±0.4 to 3.4±0.2 8-oxodG/106 nucleotides) in the absence of fluorescence light box, room fluorescent light (suspended through the ceiling) and natural room light did not alter the 8-oxodG levels. Further, the addition of 0.3 mM of PBN (N-t-butyl-α-phenyl nitrone) or TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl), or 6.8 mM 8-hydroxy-quinoline during the DNA isolation resulted in still lower values (0.8±0.1 to 1.8±0.5 8-oxodG/106 nucleotides) although this reduction was not consistently observed in different experiments. These results suggest that fluorescent light is the major ‘culprit’ in artifactual production and variability reported in the 8-oxodG levels.

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