Cocytotoxicity/comutagenicity of arsenic in a Chinese hamster ovary triple auxotroph

Conference · Mon Jun 04 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6334413

Taylor, R T; Stewart, S A; Hanna, M L

Among four forms of As that are measurable in human tissues (arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonate, and dimethylarsinate), non-cytotoxic concentrations of arsenite specifically enhance cell killing by various mutagenic agents in a Chinese hamster ovary auxotroph that requires glycine + adenosine + thymidine (CHO AUXB1). Arsenite is cocytotoxic at low concentrations of 2 to 12 ..mu..M. It is also the most growth rate inhibitory and cytotoxic of these As compounds, when each is incubated alone in AUXB1 cell cultures. None of these four As compounds are mutagenic per se, using an assay that we have developed to measure reversion to prototrophy at the FPGS gene locus. But arsenite (10 ..mu..M) specifically enhances induced reversion by the direct acting chemical mutagens cis-Pt(NH/sub 3/)/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/, methylglyoxal, and glycidal with which it is also cocytotoxic. Its comutagenicity with other agents is being tested. The foregoing experiments represent the first systematic comparison in mammalian cells of As growth inhibition, cytotoxicity, and mutagenicity versus its chemical form. Moreover, they provide the first evidence for the specific cocytotoxicity/comutagenicity of trivalent As in a mammalian cell line. Our findings support the suggestion that one role of As in its association with cancer could be to serve as a cocarcinogen. By functioning as a comutagen, perhaps through the inhibition of DNA repair, trivalent As may increase the initiation of tumor formation by enhancing the mutagenic activities of a large collection of primary environmental carcinogens. 55 references, 11 figures.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6334413
• Report Number(s): UCRL-90332; CONF-8406143-3; ON: DE85000758
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560301* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Cells-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL CELLS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
CELL CULTURES
CHEMICAL STATE
CHO CELLS
DATA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
MUTAGENESIS
NUMERICAL DATA
SYNERGISM
TOXICITY