title: Toxic activity of seventeen industrial solvents and halogenated compounds on human lymphocytes cultured in vitro.
abstract: Seventeen chemicals (solvents, insecticides and intermediates in the production of textiles and resins) were tested in a short-term in vitro system with human lymphocytes to determine their toxic action. The parameters studied were the tritiated thymidine uptake and cell viability in cultures grown with or without a rat liver metabolizing system (S-9 mix). Data obtained showed that 1,3-dichlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, hexane, 1,2-diiodoethane, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, tetrachloroethylene, 2,3-dibromopropanol, chloromethyl methyl ether, 1,2- and 1,3-dibromopropane, in order, exerted the more toxic effects; ethyl acetate, cyclohexane, cyclohexanone and benzene showed lower toxic activity. The chemicals lost their toxic power in the presence of the metabolizing system with the exception of 1,2- and 1,3-dichlorobenzene which maintained in some degree their toxicity even in the presence of the S-9 mix. Only chloromethyl methyl ether elicited unscheduled DNA synthesis acting as DNA damaging agent.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000633:toxicity*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012997:Solvents / Q000633:toxicity*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; D012997:Solvents; D004247:DNA; D013936:Thymidine