Chemical clasto- and anticlastogenicity in mouse micronucleus test

Abstract

Chemical mutagens ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and dimethyl terephthalate (DMtP) were compared in mouse micronucleus (MN) test. Simultaneously, anticlastogenic activity of 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative (DHP) was studied. CBAxC57Bl/6j males and pregnant females were exposed to chemicals by i.p. Frequencies of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MN PCEs) in bone marrow of adults and in fetal liver were analyzed 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48 after injections. EMS (300 mg/kg) induced the highest MN PCE frequency in bone marrow 36 h after treatment of adults. The clastogenic effects were the same in both males and females. In fetuses, peak of MN PCEs was observed 24 h after female exposure to EMS, i.e. earlier than in a maternal organism. On contrary, DMtP at the dose of 1/40 LD50 induced 4–7,3‰ of MN PCEs in males and was inefficient in pregnant females slightly increasing MN level in fetal cells. Thus, chemicals studied induced different effects depending on physiological status of animals but the both penetrated the placental barrier.