Genotoxicity of 2-nitro-7-methoxy-naphtho[2,1-b]furan (R7000): a case study with some considerations on nitrofurantoin and nifuroxazide.
Two nitrofurans present broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties and some of them are used in human and veterinary medicine. Most of these molecules are mutagens and some of them were reported as carcinogens. Due to its extreme mutagenic potency in bacteria, the nitronaphtho derivative 2-nitro-7-methoxy-naphtho[2,1-b]furan (R7000) was used as a tool to analyze the mechanism of the genotoxic action of this family of chemicals. In the present paper, we review essential data on the genotoxicity of R7000 and briefly discuss the case of nitrofurantoin and nifuroxazide, two nitrofurans, still in use as urinary and gastrointestinal disinfectants.
Hofnung
Maurice
M
Unité de Programmation Moléculaire et de Toxicologie génétique, CNRS URA 1444, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Quillardet
Philippe
P
Michel
Valérie
V
Touati
Eliette
E
D000818:Animals; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D009581:Nitrofurans / Q000633:toxicity*; D009582:Nitrofurantoin / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates; D009153:Mutagens; D009581:Nitrofurans; C030911:2-nitro-7-methoxynaphtho(2-1b)furan; D009582:Nitrofurantoin; C013150:nifuroxazide