title: Rapid screening of potential human bladder carcinogens: genotoxicity in meiosis repair deficient Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: To find a quick screen of potential bladder carcinogens, a genotoxicity test in Drosophila melanogaster stocks containing DNA repair mutations was evaluated. Meiosis repair deficient male Drosophila melanogaster mei-9, mei-41, and the double mutant mei-9-41 were allowed to mate with attached -x females on media containing the test agent. Genotoxic agents produce DNA damage which accumulates and can be lethal in mei males, whereas the attached -x females are able to repair the damage and survive. Thus, the sex ratio of the progeny is a measure of genotoxicity which can be correlated with mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. In this study, tea, coffee, and saccharin were not genotoxic (p greater than 0.3). Dose dependent toxicity was observed in bracken fern (p less than 0.001). The known mutagen and bladder carcinogen, cyclophosphamide, was highly genotoxic (p less than .001). Drosophila genotoxicity not only permits rapid screening of mutagens, but may also have advantages over other systems in the screening of potential bladder carcinogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown 26506.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lamm
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lamm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015197:Carcinogenicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D003069:Coffee / Q000633:toxicity; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000633:toxicity; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008540:Meiosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D010944:Plants; D012439:Saccharin / Q000633:toxicity; D013662:Tea / Q000633:toxicity; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D003069:Coffee; D013662:Tea; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D012439:Saccharin