Emetine and/or its metabolites are genotoxic in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster.
Emetine is one of the two active ingredients of syrup of ipecac which is used medicinally as antiparasitic and emetic, however little is known about its genotoxic activity. The goal of this study was to determine whether and how emetine and/or its metabolites might produce mitotic recombination using the in vivo Drosophila w/w+ eye somatic assay. A standard strain (which expresses basal levels of cytochrome P450 enzymes) and an insecticide-resistant strain (which constitutively over-expresses P450 genes) were employed. The results showed that emetine and/or its metabolites are active in the assay and that the genotoxic potential is significantly influenced in the presence of higher than normal concentrations of P450.
Carbajal Rivera
María Luisa
ML
Laboratorio de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México, DF México.
Ordaz Téllez
María Guadalupe
MG
Castañeda Sortibrán
América
A
Rodriguez-Arnaiz
Rosario
R
D000563:Amebicides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D004640:Emetine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D006822:Hybrid Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
D000563:Amebicides; D009153:Mutagens; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D004640:Emetine