title: Effect of 'Pan Masala' on the germ cells of male mice.
abstract: Cytogenetic analyses of meiotic metaphase I germ cells and abnormalities of head morphology of caudal sperms were conducted in male mice following oral feeding of Pan Masala. The substance was ground to a fine powder, dispersed in polysorbate solution and administered via gavage to the animals at 84, 420 and 840 mg/kg body weight at the rate of 10 ml/kg body weight. Polysorbate and cyclophosphamide served as the vehicle control and positive control respectively. The two higher doses, 420 and 840 mg, gave a significant increase in the frequency of X-Y univalents and breaks over those of the vehicle control. Frequency of sperm head abnormalities were significantly high for all the doses tested. The results indicate that Pan Masala is a potent clastogen, reaches the testes and affects the germinal cells.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Study in Cell and Chromosome Research, University of Calcutta, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarma
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001114:Areca; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009153:Mutagens; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens