Induction of micronuclei and sister chromatid exchanges by polycyclic and N-heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cultured human lymphocytes
- Univ. of Cincinnati, OH (United States); and others
Many natural environments are contaminated with carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and N-heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NHAs) as complex mixtures of coal tar, petroleum, and shale oil. These potentially hazardous substances are prevalent at many former tar production and coal gasification sites. Three polycyclic [benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), benz(a)anthracene (BAA), and 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)] and two N-heterocyclic [7H-dibenzo(c,g)carbazole (DBC), and dibenz(a,j)acridine (DBA)] aromatic hydrocarbons were analyzed for cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on human lymphocytes. All of these polyaromatic compounds are normally present in the environment, except for DMBA. Lymphocytes from healthy donors were isolated from whole blood. The 5-ring polycyclic aromatic BaP consistently induced micronuclei in a linear dose-dependent manner with doses from 0.1-10.0 {mu}g/ml, whereas the 4-ring compounds (BAA and DMBA) had no effect on the induction of micronuclei above controls except at 5 and 10 {mu}g/ml. Of the two N-heterocyclic compounds DBC produced a significant increase in micronuclei in lymphocytes, but the dose response tended to plateau above 0.1 {mu}g/ml. DBA showed an effect on the frequency of micronuclei above controls only at high doses of 5 and 10 {mu}g/ml. The average background frequency of micronuclei for 7 lymphocyte donors averaged 3.1 per 1,000 stimulated cells, whereas the average frequency of micronuclei at 10 {mu}g/ml BaP was 36.8 per 1,000 stimulated cells. The lowest effective dose in 2 donors for BaP occurred at 0.1 {mu}g/ml. 61 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 258494
- Journal Information:
- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, Vol. 26, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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