The repair of DNA damage induced in human peripheral lymphocytes with styrene oxide

Isolated human peripheral lymphocytes were treated in vitro with styrene-7, 8-oxide (SO) and the kinetics of the repair of induced DNA damage was assessed by comet assay during further incubation of lymphocytes. Using a modified assay we measured simultaneously the number of single strand breaks in DNA (SSBs) and the sites sensitive to endonuclease III (endo III) that most probably represent abasic sites in DNA molecules. SO induced DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner and both SSBs and endo III sites were removed from the DNA by a repair process with a half time about 2-4 hours. The damage was repaired completely within 12 hours after the treatment.