title: Sister chromatid exchange in human lymphocytes exposed to isoflurane and nitrous oxide in vitro.
abstract: The question of whether or not inhalation anaesthetics are genotoxic remains controversial. Therefore, we have studied the in vitro genotoxic potential of isoflurane and nitrous oxide in human lymphocytes. Blood samples were obtained from eight healthy male, non-smoking volunteers, which were incubated and exposed to increasing concentrations of isoflurane (0.0, 0.3, 0.6 and 1.2 mmol litre-1) or 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen. Baseline sister chromatid exchange (SCE) rate per cell was mean 7.65 (SD 1.5) which increased to 9.15 (1.0), 9.55 (1.4) and 9.95 (1.8) SCE/cell during exposure to isoflurane 0.3, 0.6 and 1.2 mmol litre-1, respectively. During 50% nitrous oxide exposure, SCE rate was 9.26 (1.4). The difference between the control and exposed cells was statistically significant (P < or = 0.05). We conclude that exposure to nitrous oxide and subanaesthetic concentrations of isoflurane can produce genetic damage in peripheral lymphocytes in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and General Intensive Care (B), University Hospital of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Hoerauf
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Schrögendorfer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spacek
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kress
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Rüdiger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D007530:Isoflurane; D009609:Nitrous Oxide