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Assay to detect chemically induced DNA repair in rat spermatocytes

Journal Article · · Environ. Mutagen.; (United States)
An in vivo/in vitro DNA repair assay has been developed to quantitate chemically induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in rat spermatocytes utilizing autoradiography. Male Fischer-344 rats were treated by i.p. injection or gavage with a variety of genotoxic agents dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide, corn oil, or water. At selected times after treatment, spermatocytes were isolated by trypsin digestion of testes and cultured for 24 hr in the presence of /sup 3/H-thymidine. The direct-acting genotoxicants methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and ethyl methanesulfonate and the chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide (CPA) produced positive UDS responses in spermatocyes isolated l hr after i.p. injection. Other known genotoxicants--including dimethylnitrosamine, aflatoxin B/sub 1/, 2-acetylaminofluorene, 2, 6-dinitrotoluene, and l,6-dinitropyrene--failed to induce UDS, even with routes of administration and at times of exposure known to produce a positive response in hepatocytes. These results demonstrate that the in vivo/in vitro spermatocyte DNA repair assay may be useful as a predictive screen for germ cell mutagens.
Research Organization:
Chemical Industry Inst. of Toxicology, Research Triangle Park, NC
OSTI ID:
6625320
Journal Information:
Environ. Mutagen.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Mutagen.; (United States) Vol. 6:3; ISSN ENMUD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English