EtBr (is healthy!)

[Wolfgang Schechinger]

Hi folks, 

to put an end to the re-occurring discussion, please read that. 

(Everything downstream is citation from US National Toxicology Program)

http://ntp-
server.niehs.nih.gov/htdocs/Chem_Background/ExecSumm/EthidiumBromide.html

"     REAGENT OF DNA CHEMISTRY; DNA INTERCHELATING AGENT FOR
     BIOCHEMICAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY RESEARCH. SOME REPORTED
     USE AS AN ANTIPARASITIC & ANTIPROTAZOIC DRUG IN ANIMALS; HAS
     ALSO BEEN USED AS A DRUG OR DRUG PRECURSOR. "


"Animal Data: No 2-year bioassay studies associating EB either positively or 
negatively with a carcinogenic effect in animals were found in the available 
literature. "

"There is some suggestion in references such as catalog cited that above EB 
may be carcinogenic in animals, but they appear not to be substantiated by 
adequate studies but rather to reflect inference based on mutagenic and DNA-
damaging activity. [N.B. Fritzenschaf et al. (1993) reported that EB was 
determined to be carcinogenic in vivo in a 1970 study attributed to Boller, K. 
and Schmid, W. and published in Humangenetik, 11:35-54: attempts to locate and 
retrieve this citation were unsuccessful.] On the other hand, several early 
'70s studies reported that EB demonstrated antitumorigenic effects. Balda and 
Birkmayer (1973) reported EB to be potentially therapeutic based on specific 
action against hamster melanoma A Mel 3 cells (a model for human malignant 
melanoma) which prolonged survival time in experimental animals. The mechanism 
of action was thought to be based on strong inhibition of RNA-directed DNA 
synthesis. 

Nishiwaki et al. (1974) also reported EB to be antitumorigenic based on 
inhibition of RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity in experimental tumor 
systems. They attributed increased life spans in mice with 6C3HED-OG (200%) 
and mice with L5178Y (83%) to the antileukemic activity of EB."

Regards, 

Wo


Note: You cannot imagine what EtBr area looks like here. You enter it like 
DANGER ZONE...
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Dr. Wolfgang Schechinger
Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan R.o.C.

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