title: A short-term test for nucleotoxicity that uses chick embryo cells treated in vitro and in vivo--physico-chemical and biochemical investigations.
abstract: 1. In vitro, some nucleotoxic or potentially nucleotoxic agents were tested with freshly isolated liver and brain cells from chick embryos as well as with thymic cells of the rat. 2. In vivo, chicken embryos were exposed to X-rays, methyl methanesulfonate, methyl nitrosourea, triethylene thiophosphoramide, and dimethylnitrosamine. 3. The toxic effects were determined by viscometry of alkaline cell lysates, nucleoid sedimentation, scheduled (SDS) and unscheduled (UDS) DNA synthesis and/or RNA synthesis. 4. The dose-effect curves obtained in vitro show that directly acting genotoxic agents are detected by the embryonic cells with equal or comparable sensitivity as by mammalian cells. 5. In vivo, genotoxicity is reflected by a decrease in alkaline lysate viscosity, nucleoid sedimentation and SDS and an increase in UDS. 6. From the present results it is suggested that chick embryo cells offer a simple, rapid and inexpensive short-term nucleotoxicity test for directly acting agents, the main disadvantage being the innate inability to biotransform indirectly acting agents.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D001711:Biotransformation; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine / Q000633:toxicity; D007739:L Cells; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D008741:Methyl Methanesulfonate / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D013696:Temperature; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D008741:Methyl Methanesulfonate; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine