title: Genotoxicity of the herbicides alachlor and maleic hydrazide in cultured human lymphocytes.
abstract: The herbicides alachlor and maleic hydrazide were evaluated for genotoxicity in peripheral blood human lymphocyte cultures. Sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE), chromosome aberrations (CA) and micronuclei (MN) were scored as genetic endpoints. To detect possible metabolic modifications in the genotoxicity of both herbicides, the cultures for SCE and MN demonstration were also treated with S9 fraction. From our results we conclude that, in the absence of metabolic activation, the two herbicides induce significant increases in the frequency of SCE, although the concentrations needed to be effective are very different. Thus, alachlor gave positive results at concentrations ranging from 1 microg/ml, and maleic hydrazide at concentrations ranging from 100 microg/ml. In addition, alachlor appears to be clastogenic in both the CA and MN assays, but only at the highest concentration tested (20 microg/ml). The co-treatment with the S9 fraction produced a slight decrease in the induction of SCE with both herbicides: nevertheless, it does not seem to affect the response in the MN assay.
authors.affiliation: Grup de Mutagenesi, Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ribas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Surrallés
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carbonell
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xamena
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Creus
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marcos
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000633:toxicity*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006540:Herbicides / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008300:Maleic Hydrazide / Q000633:toxicity*; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D006540:Herbicides; D009153:Mutagens; C000188:alachlor; D008300:Maleic Hydrazide