title: Evaluation of the mutagenic potential of the antichagasic drug Rochagan in healthy and chagasic rodents.
abstract: Benznidazole (bz) is the active component of the antichagasic drug Rochagan. Tests were carried out to detect the induction of chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei in rodent bone marrow cells and peripheral blood cells, respectively. Rats were exposed to acute treatment with Rochagan by gavage at total doses of 150, 300, 1500, 2000 and 3000 mg bz/kg body weight and killed at different times. In the chronic treatments, healthy and chagasic Balb/c mice were treated with Rochagan by gavage at a dose of 100 mg bz/kg/day for 10 and 25 days. No significant increase in frequency of chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells or of micronuclei in peripheral blood cells was detected in the animals acutely or chronically exposed to Rochagan in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Departamento di Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: da Silva
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000187:drug effects*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; C009999:benzonidazole