CLASTOGENICITY OF TROPHOSPHAMIDE IN SOMATIC AND GERMINAL CELLS OF MICE

Trophosphamide, a chemotherapeutic agent structurally related to cyclo phosphamide, was tested in the micronucleus and heritable translocatio n assays in mice. It induced a linear increase of micronuclei in polyc hromatic erythrocytes 24 h after treatment with 1, 5, 25 or 50 mg/kg. In spermatids and spermatozoa of mice heritable translocations were in duced by 150 mg/kg with an average frequency of 6%. The doubling doses calculated for micronucleus induction and heritable translocation ind uction were 5.0 and 1.3 mg/kg, respectively; These values are in the s ame order of magnitude and suggest that somatic and germinal cells are similarly sensitive to the clastogenic action of trophosphamide.