title: Inhibition by germanium oxide of the mutagenicity of cadmium chloride in various genotoxicity assays.
abstract: The effects of germanium oxide on the genotoxicity of cadmium chloride were investigated. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine into testicular DNA was inhibited in mice injected ip with 1.35, 1.80 or 2.70 mg cadmium chloride/kg body weight. Germanium oxide (0.05 or 0.1 mg/kg body weight, sc) alone did not affect [3H]thymidine incorporation into testicular DNA but 0.05 mg germanium oxide/kg antagonized the inhibitory effect of 1.35 mg cadmium chloride/kg. However, combinations of the other doses of the two compounds did not show statistically significant antagonistic effects. Cadmium chloride significantly increased the frequencies of micronucleus formation in polychromatic erythrocytes, and of chromosome aberrations in the bone marrow of mice treated with 0.7, 1.4 or 2.7 mg/kg body weight, in a dose-related manner. These effects were inhibited by germanium oxide at doses of 0.1 or 0.5 mg/kg body weight, although germanium oxide alone did not affect micronucleus formation or the chromosome aberration rate. Cadmium chloride produced a dose-related increase in the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges in cultured human lymphocytes at concentrations of 5, 10 or 50 mumol. This effect was also inhibited by germanium oxide (0.05 or 0.1 mumol), although germanium oxide alone had no effect. There was a dose-related increase in the frequency of sperms with abnormal head morphologies from mice treated with 0.6, 1.1 or 2.2 mg cadmium chloride/kg body weight and this too was antagonized by the injection of germanium oxide (0.1 or 0.5 mg/kg body weight). Germanium oxide alone did not affect the frequency of sperm-head abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Yanbian Medical College, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002104:Cadmium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D019256:Cadmium Chloride; D002712:Chlorides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000187:drug effects*; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005857:Germanium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000187:drug effects; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D002712:Chlorides; D005857:Germanium; D002104:Cadmium; C040516:germanium oxide; D004247:DNA; D019256:Cadmium Chloride