title: Genotoxic activity of mebendazole in Aspergillus nidulans.
abstract: Mebendazole is an anthelmintic drug widely used in Cuba and in Mexico. Its interaction with tubulin interferes with the assemblage of the mitotic apparatus in the parasite cells, thus suggesting a possible genotoxic activity leading to chromosomal malsegregation. The heterozygous diploid strain D30 of Aspergillus nidulans was used to establish the ability of mebendazole to induce mitotic recombination and/or chromosomal non-disjunction, and the haploid strain FGSC #219 of A. nidulans was used to study the ability of mebendazole to induce point mutations in the methG suppressor system. Our results show that mebendazole can induce chromosomal non-disjunction but it fails to promote point mutations.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Doctor Salvador Allende, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: de la Torre
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Espinosa-Aguirre
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cortinas de Nava
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moron
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004171:Diploidy; D006238:Haploidy; D008463:Mebendazole / Q000633:toxicity*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D009630:Nondisjunction, Genetic; D017354:Point Mutation; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D008463:Mebendazole