Reduction of Genotoxicity of Carbamazepine to Human Lymphocytes by Pre-treatment with Vitamin B12

Background: Carbamazepine (CBZ) is widely used as an anti-epileptic drug. Vitamin B12 has been shown to protect against DNA damage caused by several mutagenic agents. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin B12 on CBZ-induced genotoxicity in cultured human lymphocytes. Methods: Sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and chromosomal aberrations (CAs) genotoxic assays were utilized to achieve the study objective. Results: The results showed significantly higher frequencies of CAs and SCEs in the CBZ-treated cultures (12 μg/mL) compared to the control group (P<0.01). The genotoxic effects of CBZ were reduced by pre-treatment of cultures with vitamin B12 (13.5μg/ml, P<0.05). Neither CBZ nor vitamin B-12 showed any effects on mitotic and proliferative indices. Conclusion: CBZ is genotoxic to lymphocyte cells, and this genotoxicity can be reduced by vitamin B12.