title: Genotoxic activity of nitrilotriacetic acid in Chinese hamster cells.
abstract: Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), a chelating agent, was tested for its ability to induce chromosomal damage in Chinese hamster cells. The chemical was shown to exert a weak genotoxic activity increasing the frequency of micronuclei after prolonged treatments. The analysis of kinetochore containing-micronuclei showed that NTA prevailingly induces chromosomal aberrations as compared to chromosome loss in hamster cells. Furthermore, immunostaining with an alpha-tubulin antibody showed clear alterations in the interphase microtubule network of cells treated for 24 h with 3 mM NTA. The microtubule effects of the chemical may be partly responsible for its cytotoxic effects.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Modesti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tanzarella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Degrassi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D009153:Mutagens / Q000378:metabolism; D009571:Nitrilotriacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D009571:Nitrilotriacetic Acid