GENOTOXIC EFFECTS OF THE ALPHA,BETA-UNSATURATED ALDEHYDES 2-TRANS-BUTENAL, 2-TRANS-HEXENAL AND 2-TRANS, 6-CIS-NONADIENAL

The genotoxic effects of the 2-alkenals crotonaldehyde, 2-trans-hexena l and 2-trans-6-cis-nonadienal were studied by cytogenetic methods, an alyzing frequencies of sister-chromatid-exchanges, numerical and struc tural chromosome aberrations and micronucleus induction in human blood lymphocytes and cells of the permanent Namalva line. Crotonaldehyde a nd hexenal were tested in concentrations of 5 mu M to 250 mu M and non adienal from 5 mu M to 70 mu M. Significant dose-related increases of sister-chromatid-exchanges and micronuclei were found for all three co mpounds. Structural chromosomal aberrations were significantly increas ed only by crotonaldehyde, but not by hexenal and nonadienal. In contr ast numerical chromosome aberrations were not induced by crotonaldehyd e whereas hexenal and nonadienal were potent inducers of aneuploidy. T he micronuclei were classified by using a centromere-specific DNA prob e in a fluorescence in situ hybridization assay. Hexenal and nonadiena l increased the percentage of centromere-positive micronuclei, nonadie nal being considerably more potent than hexenal. From these results it was concluded that crotonaldehyde acts more as a clastogen whereas he xenal and nonadienal preferentially show aneugenic effects.