Micronucleus induction in bone-marrow cells following consumption of cooked beef in mice. Preliminary investigations.
The bone-marrow micronucleus assay was used to investigate whether the consumption of cooked meat could induce chromosome damage. There was no difference in the micronucleus frequency of mice on normal diet (cereal-based, non-purified diet) and mice on normal diet supplemented with microwaved meat. However, supplementing the normal diet with well-done pan-fried meat or rare charcoal-barbecued meat or well-done charcoal-barbecued meat produced significant increments in the micronucleus frequency of polychromatic erythrocytes--the increments were of the order of 73% (p = 0.045), 90% (p = 0.047) and 136% (p = 0.001) respectively and they were observed after a 21-day feeding trial. These results suggest that ingestion of well-done pan-fried or barbecued meat may increase genetic damage, however, the accompanying decreased intake of vegetable constituents may have also contributed to the observed changes.
Fenech
M
M
CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition, Adelaide SA, Australia.
Neville
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002417:Cattle; D003296:Cooking; D004249:DNA Damage; D005260:Female; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051379:Mice; D015162:Micronucleus Tests