title: Evaluation of the mutagenic and cytotoxic effects of mercurous chloride by the micronuclei technique in golden Syrian hamsters.
abstract: The aims of this study were to evaluate the mutagenic and cytotoxic activity of mercurous chloride by the micronucleus technique in vivo on the bone marrow of golden Syrian hamsters after a single i.p. drug administration. Forty male golden Syrian hamsters were classified into eight groups: negative control, positive control and six groups treated with different doses of mercurous chloride (1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg). The negative control was injected with physiological saline i.p. and the positive control with cyclophosphamide at a dose of 80 mg/kg i.p. With respect to mutagenic effect, the average number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MPE) in hamsters treated with different doses of mercurous chloride was not significant compared with the negative control. With respect to cytotoxic effect, the average polychromatic erythrocyte/red blood cell ratio showed a significant decrease when the doses were higher than the 2.5 mg/kg dose compared with the negative control. In conclusion, this preliminary study shows a cytotoxic effect but not a mutagenic effect of calomel in vivo at one time point (24 h).
authors.affiliation: División de Genética, Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Noreste (CIBIN), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Administración de Correos no. 4, Col. Independencia, CP 64720 Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. elvairenecortes@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Elva I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Cortés-Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Ricardo M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cerda-Flores
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: González-Ramírez
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zúñiga-Charles
authors.forename: Sigifredo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lazcano-Martínez
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sampayo-Reyes
authors.forename: Carlos H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Leal-Garza
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D017669:Mercury Compounds; D009153:Mutagens; D008628:Mercury; C015728:calomel