Induction of sister chromatid exchanges by cypermethrin and carbosulfan in bone marrow cells of mice in vivo.
The public health effects of pesticides cannot be denied. However, the undesired effects of chemical pesticides have been recognized as a serious public health concern during the past decades. The present study describes the genotoxic effects of two pesticides, namely cypermethrin and carbosulfan, in a murine test system in vivo. The test parameter used was analysis of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in bone marrow cells. Both cypermethrin (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) and carbosulfan (1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg) induced significant increases in the frequency of SCEs (P < 0.001). However, no significant dose-response correlation could be found for either of the pesticides. Carbosulfan induced a cell cycle delay, as evidenced by an increase in average generation time accompanied by accumulation of cells in the first division cycle, but cypermethrin did not induce any such response. The present study indicates that carbosulfan has a higher potential to cause genetic alterations than cypermethrin in mice and may also pose a mutagenic risk to human beings.
Giri
Sarbani
S
Genetic Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Assam University, PO Box 11, Silchar 788 011, India. girisarbani@yahoo.com
Giri
Anirudha
A
Sharma
Gouri Dutt
GD
Prasad
Surya Bali
SB
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002219:Carbamates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000633:toxicity; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000187:drug effects*
D002219:Carbamates; D007306:Insecticides; D011722:Pyrethrins; C017160:cypermethrin; D016685:Mitomycin; C035038:carbosulfan