title: Genotoxic effects of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide: a comparative study.
abstract: The two alkylating agents ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) were compared for genotoxic effectiveness in various test systems. The study was undertaken partly to shed light on the difference between the compounds found after chronic exposure of monkeys (Lynch et al., 1984) where EO but not PO was able to induce SCE and chromosomal aberrations. In the present study EO was found to be 5-10 times more effective than PO with respect to gene conversion and reverse mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 and sister-chromatid conversion in S. cerevisiae RS112. In contrast, the abilities of the two compounds to induce point mutation in S. typhimurium strains and SCE in human lymphocytes were approximately equal. One possible cause of EO being more effective than PO in certain respects, discussed on the basis of inference from earlier studies, is an expected difference in ability to cause strand breaks via alkylation of DNA-phosphate groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic and Cellular Toxicology, Stockholm University, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Agurell
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cederberg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ehrenberg
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lindahl-Kiessling
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rannug
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Törnqvist
mesh_terms: D002470:Cell Survival; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange
chemical_list: D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D009153:Mutagens; D005027:Ethylene Oxide; C009068:propylene oxide